


Ho’omau

by NatalieRyan



Series: Abuse 'verse AU [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Attempted Rape, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Blow Jobs, Boys In Love, Domestic Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, In chapter 9, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements, graphic description of abuse, graphic description of violense, not between Steve and Danny, physical violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:29:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 49,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22944802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatalieRyan/pseuds/NatalieRyan
Summary: What happens when Danny Williams decides to rob the store owned by Steve McGarrett?
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Series: Abuse 'verse AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1648999
Comments: 152
Kudos: 173





	1. Monday Morning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lunedd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunedd/gifts).



> When three years ago my friend sent me this picture of Scotty (the one I used as Danny’s look in this chapter) I never thought that I’d write this story. Literally the second she sent it to me I was like: “OMG, what if…” and we started brainstorming. Couple of weeks later I had the first chapter written.  
> There were trials and tribulations that we went through with this story, but it’s finally here, and worth the wait because this final version is the version I and Lunedd wanted for this story ever since we started talking about it.  
> This story is my literary baby and I have special kind of love for it. It holds many sleepless nights, worrying over it, writing and rewriting chapters and I’m so proud of how it came out. Hope you will like it and find some solace in it like I did.  
> Title comes from the Hawaiian word Ho’omau that is the Hawaiian value of perseverance and persistence. In practicing this value, we become more tenacious and resilient, and thus, more corageous. Ho’omau also means to perpetuate, and to continue in a way that causes good to be long-lasting. Those who ho’omau do not give up easily, and they consider mistakes and failure to be temporary conditions from which to learn and move on from.  
> Trigger warning for chapter 9 for attempted rape. More will be explained in the notes in that chapter. Heed the tags for any and all warnings that you'll need before reading this story.  
> Chapters will be updated twice a week.  
> This story is finished, don’t worry.  
> First two chapters are betad by dixons_mama and the rest is read through by me and Lunedd, and also I used scribens for the grammar. If there are still some mistakes, they are mine.  
> For Lunedd, my personal cheerleader, always my creative beta, and all around the best friend a person could ask for. Grateful for having you in my life. This one is for you.
> 
> Chapter notes:  
> -The events take place in Newark, New Jersey;  
> -We get the bare minimum of information about Danny and Steve;  
> -Steve owns a store;  
> -Danny tries to rob Steve’s store to get food for his siblings;  
> -Steve offers him a job instead of reporting him to the cops;  
> -We learn Danny’s father is a drunk who beats them up (mostly Danny);  
> -We get a hint that something had happened in the last year of high school for Steve to leave Hawaii;  
> -Steve had broken up with Catherine prior to meeting Danny;  
> -Danny is 18, and Steve is 23.

Mondays used to be a pain in the ass for Danny Williams when he was younger. It meant the weekend was over and he had to go back to school. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go to school, he was one of the kids that actually wanted to go and learn something new every day, he just didn’t like Mondays. Period.

Even now as an 18 year old, and having graduated over a year ago, Danny wanted to go to school.

He allowed himself to think that maybe one day he could go to the community college or business school and graduate college with all honors. But, it was one of the fleeting thoughts he dismissed early on. He couldn’t let himself indulge with thoughts like that. He wanted to learn more. He wanted to be more. Go away from home. From his everyday life. From himself. From the hurt and the pain and everything else that threatened to drown him. He fought hard to stay strong, for both himself and his siblings.

Besides having no money to do that, it was tough to dream of something that big. What wasn’t spent on his mother and her health, was drunk away when his father drowned his sorrows in alcohol. College was not an option, not as long as it meant leaving his siblings alone with their father.

Danny had priorities.

Danny could have easily moved away, he was 18, a legal adult now, no one could pull him back to his father, since he wasn’t a minor anymore. Only his siblings were holding him back, rather the thought of what they would have to suffer if he went and left them alone with their abusive father.

And he’d do anything for his siblings.

Danny’s life turned for the worse long before turning 15. He was used to it, coming home to his sick mom, who even at her worst tried to be a pillar and offer him comfort. But, Danny knew, he had a feeling this was not one of those things that would not go away. And it didn’t. It stayed. It ate up their savings, the kids’ college funds, and the most important thing of all, it ate their lives and left a dent that could never be repaired.

He was short of turning 15 when his mom died. He knew it would happen eventually, his mom was sick for a long time. No doctor was able to find what was wrong with her. One would say it was the heart function, some would say it was trouble with breathing. The latest was that she had some trouble with the thyroid and it wasn’t working properly. Medication after medication, until his mom’s life wasted away.

His father tried to hold down the fort as much as he could while his mom was alive, but after that, it got rough. Dad always had a temper, sometimes he’d yell at them and curse, and on a few occasions he destroy china figures Danny’s mother owned. In the heat of the moment, he’d say. But, after Danny’s mom died, he changed completely. Danny could not understand why it was so difficult for his father to show them a little love and compassion during a time when they needed to stick together. Because their family was falling apart, and the only thing holding it together was Danny. He was the glue that held the cracked parts together. But, like with every broken piece of china, their family had pieces that couldn’t be glued back together. Most of the time Danny thought he failed both as a son and as a brother.

When his father hit Danny for the first time, Danny blamed it on the guilt that his father was feeling for his wife’s death. Maybe he loved her too much, but didn’t show his feelings well. He started drinking not long after her death, bottle by bottle, drowning his sorrows in alcohol. But that first time he laid a hand on Danny was already too much. Somehow Danny felt it inside him that it would not be the last time, and that his father may need some professional help to get through that tough period of his life.

It wasn’t far from the truth, when looking back three years, Danny had ended up with broken bones, bruises, and bleeding more than his fair share. But, he could forgive his father. Danny knew his father would not do it if he was sober. It wasn’t as if his mother’s death didn’t affect his father, too.

Suddenly, his father was a widower, left alone with 4 kids to provide for, the piling bills with deadlines. But Danny also knew that it was worth it, because for as long as his father was lashing out at him, he wasn't hurting Bridget, Stella and Matthew.

Danny was the oldest, following Stella who was 15, then Matthew 12 and Bridget was just about to turn 7. Danny loved his siblings to pieces. He’d endure torture in the hands of terrorists if it meant his brother and sisters were okay, and not a hair on their head was harmed. The moment his father started raising hands on them, Danny made sure to be the reason for that hand to rise, and not his siblings. He took it in stride, shedding blood and tears more times than he could count. He kept reminding himself, it was for them. It was the only thing in his life worth living for. It's why he didn't off himself the first chance he got after his mother died.

It was just a weak moment when he let his thoughts drift to a dark place and he knew it was wrong to think about it. Danny was far from being a coward, and would never run from his problems. He had to think of himself first, and what could he do to get them all out of the house. He was waiting to reach the big 18. But he couldn’t just gather all their things and go. Danny was aware of the trouble he could get them in, and as a minor, still, he couldn’t have helped them at all.

But now at 18, when he finally got the ‘adult’ card, he couldn’t stop but think of how could he get them out. The Williams' had financial problems and since Danny’s mother’s sickness progressed, what little they had saved quickly vanished. Danny found himself doing part time jobs, when he could find them, so he could bring food home for his siblings.

Danny didn’t have a job at the moment, didn’t have a way to provide for them, except for his father’s pay that almost always disappeared faster than it was earned. It left them with barely enough to cover the expenses for them to eat. Danny kept convincing himself that soon, soon he’ll take them with him. Or maybe wait until 7-year-old Bridget is old enough to leave the house, so he could leave, too.

Danny looked much older than his 18 years. Years were wearing down on him, he needed to grow up faster than he was expected to. While all of the teenagers in the world rebelled against their parents and experienced puberty, Danny didn’t have time for that. Alternating between taking care of his mother and siblings, and then enduring abuse at the hands of his father; he never let himself be a teenager.

His pale blue eyes bore too much wisdom for someone his age. Handsome face with prominent cheekbones. Skinny body. Stubborn and tough attitude on the outside, but fragile personality on the inside.

Another escape for Danny was math. While other kids hated the subject, Danny excelled in it. He had the highest points and grades on that subject compared to others. He was good with numbers. They provided lots of comfort. 

That Monday morning, Danny was wandering around a neighborhood full of small stores and markets where he could find food for his family. It was mid-September and his father had already drunk their money for the month. Danny made do with what he had saved, but he couldn’t deny that his siblings needed something more than three days old stew Danny made with the last batch of vegetables.

Danny could feel the familiar sting on his cheek from the slap he received that morning and the sore spots on his body from being his father's punching bag last night.

Danny was wearing a hoodie, alongside a worn leather jacket that Miss Emily, their neighbor, had given to him. His ripped jeans and sneakers had seen better days. A scarf was tied around his neck, keeping him warm from the cold air and the glances he may get from onlookers. The last Danny wanted was for curious people to stare at the angry, red marks on his neck. His look was topped with a beanie.

To everyone else Danny looked like a street punk looking for trouble. Only he knew why he was there at this odd morning hour.

He counted the money in his pocket. Not even enough for a loaf of bread. Sighing and swallowing his fear and tears, he unzipped his jacket and took out the crowbar he stole from his father’s old Chevy.

Danny smashed the glass of the store that was closest to the corner so he could make a clean getaway, after he got what he came for, when the alarm sounded. He cursed at how stupid his plan was, but he had to act fast in case someone called the police. What he didn’t know was that the owner of the store was pulling into the parking lot at the very same moment.

...

Steve got out of his Silverado and saw the broken glass. The small figure inside looked like he was trying to steal something. Not today. It was Monday, for fuck’s sake. Steve hated Mondays.

The guy turned around and something gnawed at Steve on the inside. The look in those eyes, the scared deer in the headlights look, the fast forming bruise on his cheek… The young man dashed, with whatever he stole, and somehow he ended up in the back alley. Steve was hot on his heels.

…

Steve McGarrett was 23 years old, recent college graduate that took over the family business the second he got the degree. He was originally from Hawai’i moving to Jersey after a particular event in school that was both painful and unpleasant for him, forced Steve to move across the country. As far away as he could.

Luckily his aunt Deb took care of things back in Hawai’i as their legal guardian and the only living relative Doris and John had. She also took care of Steve’s sister, Mary Ann that he had to leave behind. She was the only one that knew about what happened between Steve and Victor, and all that Victor did to make Steve’s life hell. He had hated himself for a long time, because he had to leave her behind, but new beginnings were all about change and Steve embraced it.

Aunt Deb had taken care of both of them since their parents died. Steve was 15, and Mary 12, when John and Doris McGarrett were killed by a car bomb. Doris was the head of the food store chain her family owned, and John was a police officer in the Honolulu Police Department. When one case went particularly wrong, the prime suspect rigged the ’74 Mercury Marquis John drove. Steve witnessed the explosion as he was about to come home from football practice.

His mother and father were headed to pick up Mary from her dancing lesson. They never got there. Steve remembered it distantly now, but the image of his father’s car in flames was forever etched in the back of his mind.

He had to stop thinking about the past and focus on the future, because he was doomed if he didn’t do his best to run the family store. The only legacy he was left with, besides the photographs of his family. He had to keep the memory of them alive, and to prove that he could be the son John always wanted him to be. A successful businessman, taking care of everything, just like he always did. As far away from the police work as possible.

Right now, his only focus was the store. He had to take his mind off the fiasco this weekend happened to be. Because there were more important matters he had to take care of, like the series of unrelated robberies in the neighborhood, his store being one of the targets. Steve couldn’t think of Catherine and how she told him she was going to enlist in the Navy, before he had any say in the matter.

The Navy was always his dream. Ever since he was a little kid. He'd wanted to be an officer in the Navy, with the SEALs. But, his parents died, then an unspeakable event happened and he decided that he would pursue a career in business and economy. Seemed fitting, and he didn’t give much thought about it. Until Catherine said the words.

He met her while he was a sophomore. She was the sister of one of the students in his class, and they quickly hit it off. She was fun, and he liked being with her. She listened to all he had to say, she was both his friend and his lover.

Catherine said she loved him, she really did, but she had been stuck here in New Jersey her whole life, and she couldn’t stay any longer. The Navy was also her dream, she mentioned that more than once, and she finally had the chance to make it happen.

She dropped the bombshell Saturday night, and Steve felt like someone poured ice cold water over him. He felt like he was betrayed. So, he ended the relationship. Steve didn’t want to be the reason why Catherine would want to come back one day, if she got tired from the Navy life, nor the reason that kept her from fulfilling her dream.

Steve blew a fuse afterward. He drank all of the liquor he had in his house, and spent Sunday with the worst hangover in the history of hangovers. That contributed to Steve feeling miserable, angry, and bitter. As he pulled up on the curb, right in front of his store, he saw the broken glass, alarm blaring, and he went ballistic.

The tires of the Silverado screeched as he braked hard, rubber leaving tracks on the asphalt. Steve noticed a small figure inside the store, and the only thing that he could think of was that he got the fucker that was robbing the stores. He pressed the remote to stop the alarm.

Steve went after him.

…

Danny was running like he was on fire. His muscles were screaming at him to stop, but he couldn’t do it. Not now, not when someone saw him stealing.

But he came to a halt as he noticed the chain link fence. There were dumpsters on the right, walls on the left and the chain link fence in front of him. Danny was screwed. He was fucked and his life was over.

He heard footsteps approaching and prayed that the guy would not call the cops. If his father even caught a whiff of what happened, and if he had to bail him out, Danny would not live through the night. His siblings would be left alone with the monster.

Danny growled as he felt a hand landing softly on his bicep. Danny turned around like the wind and was met with the most beautiful blue-green eyes he'd ever seen. The guy wore a navy blue t-shirt over dark jeans and a sweater, sunglasses poised over his chest. He looked ridiculously handsome in the morning light and Danny almost lost himself staring at the stranger. But, he had to act quickly. He removed his arm from the grip the tall man had on him.

Steve was looking at the small boy that couldn’t have been more than 14 or 15 years old, but looked older and rough around the edges. The boy seemed scared despite his aggressive behavior. Perhaps fearful that Steve may do something to him. 

And just like that, with Steve’s touch the boy deflated.

“Please, don’t call the cops. Please, I’ll return the food, you won’t see me ever again. I know it was the wrong thing to do, but I have my siblings at home, and they haven’t eaten properly in two days. I’m short of money, and I can’t take the look in their eyes when they're sad, and please… If my father finds out about this…” And that’s where Danny stopped himself.

Steve learned pretty quickly the guy had great lung capacity.

It must have been the father. He noticed the bruise on the boy's cheek for a second time, and the way the boy flinched and moved out of his grasp when Steve touched him.

“What’s your name?” Steve asked, and he saw the surprise in those blue-grey eyes.

“Danny.”

“Nice to meet you, Danny. I’m Steve.”

If Danny was surprised before, now he was baffled as he stared at the proffered hand like it was the devil itself.

Danny was not used to kindness, Steve noted.

“I’m not gonna hurt you, Danny. In fact, I’ll let you keep the food.”

“No, no, no. I stole it from you, you can have it back, I… I can’t accept that.”

“You didn’t steal it. You earned it.”

“Are you nuts? I didn’t earn it.”

“Yes you did.” Steve showed him the cardboard boxes next to the dumpster. “You see those? I have a few more inside that need to be taken into storage, emptied and then thrown here. You will help me.”

“I…”

“Come on, Danny, give me the food, I’ll keep it for you until you finish the job.”

Danny was shaking like a leaf in the wind. When he handed the bag of goods to Steve their hands brushed. Steve could feel the trembling and thought again of how scared the boy looked.

Danny followed Steve inside, and did most of his work in silence. Steve could see that Danny was struggling with the weight of the boxes, but didn’t say anything to the boy. Nor did Danny. He took it in stride, and didn’t complain.

Danny took a couple of the already empty boxes outside, and when he didn’t come back, Steve went to see if maybe the guy bolted. What he found downright broke his heart in two.

Danny was propped against the wall next to the boxes, softly snoring. He must have been exhausted before Steve just snatched him to help with the boxes. But, Steve did that to help him out, since he felt Danny was genuine in his statement. And Steve’s heart went out to the guy.

Now, as he stared at Danny’s sleeping form, he couldn’t help but think how vulnerable Danny looked in that position. He hated to wake him up, but Steve had a better idea than to leave Danny sleeping on the hard surface.

Steve gently shook Danny by the shoulders and bleary blues peered at him. Steve smiled at how cute Danny looked half asleep. He knew it wouldn’t be long until Danny recovered and escaped his touch.

“You fell asleep. Come on, get up before you catch a cold.”

“I’m… sorry. Didn’t mean to fall asleep on you… I’ll just go and get those boxes…”

“Shhh, it’s okay. Your job is done for today. Now go home and get some sleep. Come back tomorrow, 8 a.m. I’ll see what I can do about finding you a job here.”

“No!” Danny didn’t mean to scream at Steve, but he did. He almost stumbled as he lifted himself off the ground, but he managed to balance himself pretty quickly. “It’s not you… I just can’t accept your offer. I know what you are trying to do, but… no.”

“I’m not trying to do anything, Danny. I am the owner of this store and I want to help you out. It must be difficult to look after your family, when you don’t have the means to do it. You need a job so you can earn some money and help them out. Don’t you want that?”

“I do, but I just robbed you. As far as you know, maybe I’m just a punk that could have killed you, and you ran after me, now you are offering me a job… Who are you, the Good Samaritan?”

“I’m Steve McGarrett, and I want to help you, Danny. Will you let me?”

Danny looked incredulously at Steve and shook his head, smiling. This guy would be the end of him.

“You don’t even know me.”

“I’m pretty sure you were honest with me when you told me why you stole the food. You could have just lied to save yourself, but I know it was the truth. I just want to make the world a better place, blame me for that.”

“And you think by taking me in under your wing can solve that problem for ya’?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Everyone has to start small, right?”

“Right. But, let me warn you, I am not a charity case.”

“Point taken. Think of it like this. You can earn money and food for your siblings. And you could also pay for the broken window like this.”

“I walked right into that one.”

“Literally.”

“Okay. you have a fair point. I did break the glass and I’m not running from it.”

“So, tomorrow, 8 a.m.?”

Danny smiled and nodded. ‘Tomorrow, 8 a.m.”

As he started leaving, Steve called out for him. “How many siblings do you have?”

“Three. One brother and two sisters.”

Steve smiled conspiratorially as he put a little something in the bag with food and handed it to Danny.

“You forgot this.”

“No. Steve…”

“Take it. Besides, I told you, you earned it. Tell your father.”

Danny’s face fell at the mentioning of his father, and Steve knew there was more to it, intent on finding out what exactly got this young man to the place where he was now.

“Thank you. I mean it. You don’t have to do this. I managed on my own just fine.”

What Danny didn’t say was evident in his silence, that he didn’t want Steve to pity him or be Steve’s charity project.

“I like helping people out. And you don’t have to thank me. I get it that you have doubts, but I promise, I don’t have any hidden intentions. It’s a pleasure to have met you, Danny.”

Danny snorted. “Yeah, right.”

Danny left the store, and Steve picked up the cleaning kit, to gather the glass and the scattered items off the floor. He then called the company to come and change the shop window. His initial thought that Danny was guilty of the robberies was out of the picture.

Because Danny could have easily taken the money, Steve left the register full these past few nights, to lure the robber to his store, and maybe even catch them on camera. Steve would know, because the other robberies were meticulous. The entry was through the doors that were pick-locked and not through the window, like Danny did, which frankly was an amateur job. They were about the money, too, so after Danny explained to Steve he didn’t have any money, but picked the food instead of the full register, Steve ruled Danny out as a suspect in this case.

Even though his father would have told him to call the police and report the robbery, Steve opted against it. Danny only took some food and even when Steve found him, he begged him to not call the cops. Steve was sure that Danny would be in trouble with his father for it, and Steve didn’t want to cause the boy more trouble.

Danny intrigued him. He had an aura of mystery around him and Steve was intent on solving it.

And if Danny noticed 4 chocolate bars in a bag full of food, more than what he stole in the first place, he didn’t say a thing as he came to work at the store the next day.

Somehow, Steve thought, he and Danny would get along just fine.


	2. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny starts working at Steve's store and a new friendship is on the horizon. Or is it something else?  
> They talk and confess some things about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Steve’s store is named ‘Five-0’;  
> -Danny has worked in the ‘Five-0’ for a while now, helping Steve in the store and with the storage room;  
> -Steve shares more about himself (that his parents are dead). In turn, Danny tells Steve his mom is dead and opens up a bit more to Steve. They reminisce;  
> -Danny and Steve are becoming good friends;  
> -Danny opens up to Steve that his father is beating up on him.
> 
> A bit of a word on Danny's situation with his mom (as you probably noticed from chapter 1, too), it's what happened to my mom and the consequences of it. My mom is still alive, though, but Danny's mom didn't have that luck. My mom almost didn't survive either. Hardest period of my life. It felt cathartic writing about it in this story.

**_“The world keeps turning, no matter what the story”_ **

**_-The Whooliganz, “Keep on”_ **

Over the next two weeks, things went back to normal. There were still robberies hitting the neighborhood like snowballs in December, yet the police still had no clue as to who the perpetrator could be.

Steve had owned the store all of 6 months and he had already installed cameras and an alarm system, because he couldn’t screw this up. He was practically swimming in money with his parents’ inheritance, but the store was as important to him as much as making a good name of it was.

His mother was the owner of a chain of stores in the Pacific. When Steve graduated and decided to move the family business a little further, to the East Coast instead of coming home and running the original store and expand it to the West Coast, Aunt Deb was supportive of the idea.

And that’s how it started for Steve. It was rough like with all of the other stores, but the name under which his store was a branch got carried and now most of the neighborhood was shopping there. If the trend continued like this, soon he would have a good part of Newark buying from his store, and he’d have to hire more man power. Maybe even expand.

Danny was working at the “Five 0” from Monday to Friday by now, helping Steve at the storage unit and sometimes as a delivery man if he had to take a bag with products to a nearby house. They quickly established a routine.

Danny wasn’t a quiet person by default, always having questions, curious, and Steve couldn’t help but be delighted at how the guy seemed to be hungry for knowledge. Something deep inside Steve told him that yeah, maybe Danny was hungry for knowledge, since he didn’t get the chance to continue with his education, even though he liked to do that. Danny stated that on more than one occasion.

Danny wasn’t the only curious one, as Steve tried to keep up with the Jersey native. That’s how he learned that Danny was 18 years old, that he wanted to go to college, but the family had financial problems, and he couldn’t afford it. Steve found out that Danny’s father was a violent man that spent his money on alcohol and gambling, and that all of the other finances the family had went for his mother’s treatment. Other than that, Danny never talked about his mother, nor his father, the only thing that he talked about were his siblings and their antics. He seemed to light up when he talked with Steve about the latest teenage problems Stella complained about having to share a room with a baby sister, or the fact that Matthew was delighted to have his big brother’s clothes, because he thought they were cool back in the day. 

Steve learned that he was smiling more, ever since he met Danny. Be it a story Danny would tell about his siblings, or just something funny (the guy had a great sense of humor and used sarcasm 99% of the time), it always elicited a smile from Steve. Genuine smiles, those Steve rarely let out after he left Hawai’i.

One Thursday, two weeks after Danny started working for Steve, the two men were taking a break from placing the products in storage, and Steve was piling bags for their customers that Danny had to deliver in an hour.

“Phew, just how do you manage this store all by yourself, man? I’m wiped.”

“It takes practice.”

“I can see that. I’m not sure I would survive if I worked by myself and did all of that. I can see what you meant saying you needed my help.”

“Told you the first time around, Danny.” Steve said chuckling, seeing how Danny’s eyes sparkled when he looked up from the last box he emptied and it was ready to be taken to the dumpsters.

“That’s all for today?”

“Yes, no more piling up goods for you today. You just deliver these, get back and hand me the money and then you are free to go home.”

Steve saw how Danny’s face fell whenever he would say Danny was done for the day and that he could go home. It looked like the blond didn’t want to spend much time at home, and every day he tried to prolong the time before he had to clock out. Steve could not help but wonder if it had something to do with Danny’s father, judging by the numerous times Danny had a bruise, or held himself stiffly, but worked his share nonetheless.

Danny saw Steve staring at him for a long time, and he figured that it was something he did that drew the guy’s attention. Danny was not used to being the center of attention, no one looked at him like he mattered. With Steve, it was different. He felt like Steve accepted him for what he was, and pointedly evaded asking questions about his parents, like he knew somehow that there was more to it than Danny was ready to share.

Danny did the same. Didn’t ask Steve personal questions, knowing from experience how he felt when someone asked him. But, he noticed that there was a certain sadness surrounding Steve that was maybe connected to a personal tragedy of his. He always had that air about him. He was generally happy when in Danny’s company, but Danny noticed he held himself at length when it came to sharing.

They were in the same position, just on the opposite side of the road, and it was just a matter of time when one of them would move along and make the first step towards breaching the imaginary red line both of them put to protect themselves from the rest of the world.

“So, what does ‘Five-0’ mean?” Danny asked effectively distracting Steve from staring too much and asking Danny what was wrong.

The look in Steve’s eyes darkened at the mentioning of the name of the store, and Danny regretted he ever asked the question.

“Forget I asked. I should probably get going and get these to our customers.”

‘Our’ slipped out of Danny’s mouth easily, he didn’t even realize he said it in that way.

“Hey, Danny, wait.” Danny stopped and turned around. Steve pulled out a chair and motioned for Danny to sit down.

“What?”

“Sit down. You asked me something, and well, I think it’s time for me to tell you the story of how this store came to life. After all you are working here, you need to know.” He smiled and it was all that Danny needed to leave the bags by the door and sit on the chair.

Steve sat in another chair he pulled out from behind his desk.

“I lived in Hawaii up until I was 17. Then I came here to Jersey to study business and economics. I just graduated about 7 months ago.”

“Congrats, again.” Danny chuckled when Steve told him, once again, that he graduated college 7 months ago. Steve had also told Danny that he was only 5 years older than Danny. “So, you graduated.”

“I did. And I had briefly thought about going back to Hawai’i, but then I realized that maybe starting fresh was a better idea. My mom, she was the head of a chain of stores on the Big Island, and on some of the other surrounding islands. I had a brief thought of going back and managing the stores, even open some new ones and expand on the West Coast.”

“But, you decided to stay here.”

“Yes, I did. And I think it was a good decision.”

“Well, I’m not a fancy businessman like you are, nor do I have experience in this field, but it seems to me like you are doing well so far. The profit pays off for the effort and money you put in it.”

“Well, I could easily just do nothing and live from the money I have, but what’s the point of life if you don’t do something you love?”

“You have a point, my friend. And I don’t envy you there. Like I said, you chose a tough job.”

“Aren’t they all?”

“I guess.”

“My father always said that ‘Five-0’ meant a lot when he moved to Hawai’i with my mom. It gave him a place where he belonged, and a home. Hawai’i is the 50th State and the Five-0 held a great meaning to our family. We were Five-0ers and it meant a lot to have a place where you can be yourself, and well, we were _ha’ole_ , but at least we had each other.”

“So ‘Five-0’ is somehow a reminder of the life you had back in Hawai’i and it brings a certain semblance of peace being here, so far from home.”

“Something like that.”

“There’s more to it.”

“Kinda.”

“I figured.”

“You… It’s also in memory of my parents.”

Danny was quiet, gaze locked with Steve’s, expecting for him to continue with his story.

“My parents died when I was 15. Car bomb. My father was a police officer. It was revenge for a case he worked on, it turned out both of my parents were in the car that day.”

Danny turned his gaze quickly for Steve to not see the pity there, and tried to think of something to say, but his lips would not cooperate with his mind.

“Danny?”

“Hm?”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. I’m just sorry for your loss. You were so young when you lost your parents, and I get it now. I wish I kept my mouth shut.”

“Why?”

“Well, if I didn’t ask about the meaning behind the name of the store, you wouldn’t be sitting here talking about it. I triggered a memory you are obviously not comfortable talking about, and…”

“Stop, stop. Danny.”

Danny stopped talking and waited for Steve to say something, yell, anything other than to stare silently at him.

“I’m glad you asked about it, to be honest. I never told this story to anyone else. You are the first. And it felt good. To share.”

“I’m glad you shared it with me. I didn’t mean to cause you discomfort talking about this. Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. I didn’t tell you this so you can blame yourself.” Steve’s voice was a little bit stern, but firm and Danny received the message.

“Remember how I mentioned my mom had to undergo numerous treatments for multiple illnesses?”

“Yes.”

“That was before… she died three years ago.”

Steve actually gaped, because this was the first time Danny shared anything important about his parents.

“Oh my God, Danny, I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you, Steve. She was sick for a couple of years. The doctors weren’t able to diagnose what exactly the cause of her deterioration was, she was just healthy one day, and the next day she wasn’t.” Danny was aware his voice was wavering, but damn, he needed to get it out.

The thing about his mother’s death was buried deep inside him for so long and Steve sharing his own personal tragedy spurred him to talk about his life with Steve.

“She always wanted to provide for us, she loved us to pieces. She was the greatest mother a kid could ask for. I miss my mom. A lot. I thought that as I got older it would go away, but it actually intensified. The feeling of losing someone you love.”

“I miss my mom, too. And my dad. They loved me and my sister so much, and I think that a great deal of what I am today, I owe to them, and what they taught me in the short 15 years we spent together.”

“Thank you.”

“For what.”

“For sharing with me. I know it must be difficult.”

“Then I’ll have to thank you, too, Danny. For sharing. You didn’t fare much better than me, I think.”

Danny smiled sadly, feeling the familiar sting of tears behind his eyes.

“Now, up and at 'em.” Steve said with a commanding voice, as he jerked his thumb towards the bags.

Danny caught the look in Steve’s eyes and he knew the guy needed some privacy. Just like Danny. And if an hour later Danny found Steve with red puffy eyes, much like his, neither addressed it.

…

***1 week later***

Steve was wiping the dust off the shelves before rearranging some of the goods when the door of the store opened and Danny entered. Steve turned around to see if it was a customer and when he laid eyes on Danny, he noticed half of his body was bathed in mud. There was a cut on Danny’s cheek and he was breathing heavily, anger flaring from his nostrils like smoke.

“What happened?” Steve’s gentle voice carried to where Danny stood at the doorway. He was still not sure how he should proceed with touching Danny, he was afraid he’d make it worse if he did.

Danny was trying to keep upright and failing. Steve made a quick decision, grabbed the keys for the store and the Silverado, activated the alarm and called Danny to follow him. He also picked up a black plastic bag.

Steve opened the passenger door of the Silverado, and placed a plastic bag over the seat. He motioned for Danny to get inside and he got a look in return.

“What?”

“Where are you taking me?”

_Yes, Steve, you smitten goof, where are you taking Danny?_ Steve’s mind was screaming at him.

“I’m taking you to my house. You have to clean up. If that’s okay with you?” Steve had to tread the waters carefully if he wanted Danny to feel like he wasn't being cornered.

“Yeah, fine. Whatever.” Danny said as he slid into the seat.

They drove in silence and Steve discovered for the umpteenth time that a silent Danny is not a good Danny. They were both ignoring the elephant in the room, and neither was ready to move onto the topic back again.

Steve pulled up to his driveway and got out of the vehicle. He unlocked the front door and went inside, Danny followed him, stopping in the living room.

He wasn’t sure what to expect. He knew Steve was wealthy, that his family had millions, but this, the house, he didn’t expect it to be so modest to what other rich people were used to.

There were Rachel and Stan from his class in high school that were practically showering in money, and he had the unpleasant chance to visit their homes. Those were palaces compared to this place.

Steve noticed the look that passed over Danny and he smiled inwardly.

“I’ll leave you some clothes on the bed. The shower is next to my room.” Steve said, matter of fact. Danny’s cackle stopped him in his tracks, and when he turned around he saw a muddy Danny Williams giggling like a schoolgirl.

“What? What’s so funny?” The tiniest hint of laughter in Steve’s voice spurred Danny even harder and now he was hunched over, and damn, his chest hurt from laughing so hard, but he couldn’t help it.

“You. You're funny.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. You said, ‘I’ll leave you some clothes on the bed’. Are you aware that you are a bean pole with ridiculously tall legs, Steven?”

“So what?”

“They won’t fit me.”

“And?” Steve drawled the word, and Danny seriously looked like he wanted to slap the guy and wake him from the trance he was obviously in.

He didn’t respond but shook his head. Steve huffed out something that sounded like a laugh and took off in the direction of his room.

…

Half an hour later found Steve worried beyond himself. Danny went to shower and he still wasn’t back to the living room. He decided that he’d go and check up on Danny, when he entered the room and found the clothes he left for Danny still on the bed.

Steve quietly opened the bathroom door, not wanting to scare Danny shitless, but the sight that met him halted Steve in his tracks.

Danny had blessedly closed the door of the shower stall. Steve was looking directly at the glass that was fogged from the steam, with water droplets preventing his view. But even with the barrier between them he could see Danny’s back. As exciting as the scene in front of him would have been under different circumstances, Steve couldn’t hide the surprise from his face.

Danny’s back was one big bruise, crisscrossed with cuts and welts. His legs and behind didn’t fare any better, and Steve felt anger bubbling on the inside.

Danny fell asleep upright under the warmth of the shower and had his forehead currently plastered against the tiles.

Steve decided that he needed to wake up Danny and make him comfortable, touch be damned.

The guy was vigilant, though, because as soon as Steve carefully tapped at the door, Danny jumped, scaring the shit out of Steve and himself. Opening the stall door to get out faster, Danny caught Steve on the jaw when he swung with his right hand.

“Son of a…“ Steve muttered under his breath and then remembered this was Danny and he was probably not even aware Steve was in front of him.

The look in Danny’s eyes were wild and glassy, and for a moment he was disoriented until he realized he was naked, right in front of Steve, and the guy looked like he wanted to punch someone.

“Steve…”

“Hey, it’s okay. Danny, you are safe. It’s okay.” Steve tried to reassure him, keeping his hands on Danny’s shoulders.

Danny shivered and a second later he found a bathrobe wrapped around him. He sank into the warmth of the fabric on his skin and let Steve help him out of the shower, then sat him on the bed.

“Danny, are you okay?” Steve sat opposite Danny on the bed and looked at the tired blue grey eyes of the blonde that seemed unresponsive.

“Yeah. I’m good. Thanks. It’s just the shower. It dazed me.”

“It’s not like you haven't had a shower before, Danny.” Steve teased, but the smile died on his lips as he saw a look pass through Danny’s eyes.

“I do shower, Steve. It’s just it was warm and pleasant and I guess I lost myself in it…” Danny sounded dreamy, and Steve bit his lip, stopping himself from saying something he’d regret. He shouldn’t have said anything in the first place.

“I don’t get the chance to enjoy warm showers much.” Danny said shyly, and there was a familiar pang in Steve’s chest. Just like he always did whenever Danny talked about the things he didn’t have or couldn’t do, because he couldn’t afford them.

“I have to take care of Matty, Stella and Bridget. Not much warm water left for me, and electricity is expensive. So, you learn to live and adjust with what you have.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You didn’t know, I didn’t tell you.” Danny looked at Steve then and noticed the red tinge of Steve’s skin around the mouth. Suddenly he remembered lashing out, thinking it was someone that attacked him… “Steve… What did I do?”

“You didn’t do anything.”

“I hit you, didn’t I?”

“No, it was an accident. It’s okay.”

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Danny. If you actually wanted to hit me, I’d probably be knocked out.”

It was supposed to be meant as reassurance, but did nothing to ease Danny’s mind.

“Wanna tell me what happened to you?” Steve now looked at the fast blossoming bruise on Danny’s cheek and the raw cut, trying to steer the conversation from Danny apologizing again for something he had no control over.

“No.” Was Danny’s short and bitter reply.

Steve went to the bathroom, and maybe he lingered couple of minutes longer, trying to come to grips with the anger that was boiling inside him, threatening to rise to the surface.

Steve could see the signs of abuse, they were visible when he took inspection of Danny’s naked body. _Do not even go there, Steven!_

As to the extent, however, he had no idea. He had to get Danny to talk, he had to show him that it was okay to share.

He re-entered the room and Danny was now dressed in one of his white t-shirts with _Hawaii_ written on it in big black letters. The jeans were too long, but Danny managed to roll them up.

Steve cleaned the small cut on Danny’s cheek and put ointment on it. He applied a Band-Aid and waited for Danny to say something. The only thing he got was a small “thank you”.

After he finished with Danny, Steve sat on the corner of his bed. There was tension in the air, and neither knew how to break it.

Steve knew he was taking a gamble when he offered Danny a job. He'd barely known the guy for 15 minutes and he was offering the kid a job. Maybe there was just the tiniest hint of something more inside Steve’s heart for this short, ruggedly handsome blond. Danny was a mystery that attracted Steve more and more every day they spent together.

It was clear Danny needed some space now, so Steve decided to leave him to rest in his room.

...

There was an awkward silence stretched between the two, and then Steve slowly got up, ready to leave the room, when Danny decided to break the silence, and tell his story to Steve. He owed the guy that much after the eventful morning they had. If there was anyone else Danny could trust in his life, after Miss Emily, it was Steve. Somehow Steve made Danny feel like he wouldn’t be judged. Or hurt.

Danny stretched and winced, trying to stifle a groan, his muscles feeling stiff and sore. His father had done a real number on Danny that day, with Danny paying the price for not listening, like always.

“My father beats me.”

It was barely above a whisper and it halted Steve in his tracks. The sentence may have been spoken to his back, but Steve felt a pang in his chest nonetheless. He didn’t have to look into Danny’s eyes to see the troubled look in them, he'd seen it there from day one. He knew he didn’t have to read into Danny’s body language to work out whatever it was that Danny was going through that made him wary.

Steve knew that it must have been painful for Danny to endure that, and somehow all of the pieces fit into the puzzle Danny was. Why he wasn’t so eager to go home when they were done with work. Why Danny would only talk about his brother and sisters. Avoiding the topic of his father like the Devil avoided incense.

“He started right after my mother died. I mean, he wasn’t particularly gentle, or big on emotions before, but he seemed to rein himself in before my mom’s passing.”

Danny was trying to swallow the lump in his throat, blinking fast to chase away the tears that threatened to fall. He was strong and he could tell Steve that it was okay, Danny could take it, and that it hadn’t taken a toll on him. It was just until he could find a permanent decision for their situation.

“He started drinking heavily, and one night he came home wasted, he could barely even stand on his legs, but that man is… He is very strong and broad. I guess I inherited something from him, huh?” Danny chuckled bitterly showing at his own shoulders. “I took after my mother in the looks.” He added shyly, and Steve smiled at that, imagining an older, female version of Danny.

Steve thought that he could easily like Danny’s mother, she seemed like a nice lady from what little he'd heard about her.

“He was trying to shuffle through the house, ended up knocking over half of the things in the living room. I was lying awake in my bed. I had to take a test the next morning, and I was anxious about the outcome, but I also had to worry about him on top of everything. I went downstairs and I found him trying to open a beer bottle. He sensed I was there with him and asked me what I was doing up so late.

“I wanted so much to scream at him that the reason I was up so late was because of him, but I refrained. I was 15 and well, not much of a rebel, I couldn’t risk it. I told him I was studying for my test, and he said something, I can’t even remember what it was, but I replied. Maybe it was the wrong thing to say, because when he hit me, I fell and hit my head hard.”

“Jeez.”

“Yeah. I was diagnosed with a grade three concussion. Told you, he is strong.”

“So, he’s beating you for what, 3 years now?”

“Yes.”

“Fucking asshole.” And now Steve was the one being blunt, but when he heard Danny actually laugh, he smiled.

“Pretty accurate yeah. Landed me in the hospital more times than I can count. If you ask the nurses, they’ll tell you I’m the clumsiest kid in the neighborhood.”

There was so much pain behind those words, Steve cringed.

“Has he hit…?”

“My siblings? Yes, he has. More than once. Which is why I always try to get in his way, to bear the brunt of it. I can’t see them suffer. It would kill me if something ever happened to them and he was responsible for it. As long as it's me who gets smacked around, it’s fine. Until I can stand on my own two feet and get them out of there, I’ll endure whatever it takes. They are under my care now. They are my life.”

Danny wiped at the tear tracks on his cheeks.

“I swore on my mother’s grave I’d protect them with all I have. And that bastard can do whatever he can to me physically. He can’t touch me here.” Danny pointed his finger on his temple, and started pacing.

It was a first for Steve to see Danny like this, and it scared him. Danny had a wild look in his eyes, like he wasn’t even in the room. Stuck in another time and another place, reliving something horrible. And it hurt. Boy, did it hurt.

Steve couldn’t figure out what it was that got to him, but there was definitely something he felt for Danny Williams.

“All I ever wanted was to be loved, Steve.” And again Danny was blunt, honest, open and raw in front of Steve. “They bullied me at school. Being short, and being… Being a little bit different than the others. Having to go home to that man and feel blow after blow after blow. Just how much more do I have to take, huh? How much? Just look at what he did to me this morning. Look at me!” Danny was flailing his arms and openly crying now.

It tore at Steve how vulnerable and small Danny was in front of him, he wished he could protect Danny from everything, to heal him and put him back together. This beautiful boy in front of him deserved nothing than to be loved and cared for, everything else be damned.

_Did he just think of Danny as beautiful?_

The urge to touch and reassure Danny was too strong. In one swift motion he got off the bed, steadied the blond and pulled him close to his chest, shushing him, and gently running a hand up and down Danny’s back.

Danny’s natural instinct was to fight when he was touched, but oddly enough he felt safe in Steve’s arms, and let it slide, relishing in the comforting feel of Steve’s warm body pressed against his.

Steve’s arms snaked around Danny’s back and it was like Steve wanted to keep Danny there in his embrace. Danny sank into it with every passing second. When he calmed down, Steve gently led Danny to the bed, his body screaming in exhaustion.

“Steve, I can’t… I…”

But Steve was having none of it as he gently nudged Danny towards the bed, getting the covers off so the boy could make himself comfortable.

Perhaps it was the years of abuse he endured, or the lack of sleep lately, ever since he started working at ‘Five-0’, but for the first time in his life Danny felt like there was hope for things to be better.

He would definitely change his mind about Mondays.

Steve tucked Danny in, and there was a small smile of satisfaction on his face after he heard the first telltale signs that Danny was deep under.

As Steve headed towards the hall he cast one more look at the sleeping figure in his bed- _yes, Steven, stop right there_ , at how comfortable and cozy that sounded right now-he couldn’t help but form a plan in his head of what he could do to help Danny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?


	3. Start of something good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -The next day: Danny goes back to work;   
> -We get to have a little introspection of both of their feelings for each other;  
> -Steve’s thoughts of Danny as the sunshine he’s missing and Danny’s thoughts of Steve being his Prince Charming;   
> -They have a lunch at Burger King - a few days later;  
> -Danny makes a suggestion about merging toys with cakes for Christmas.  
> -The title of this chapter is from Daughtry's song "Start of something good"

Steve was arranging some of the new goods that arrived just that morning when Danny entered the store. He smiled at the shy young man, and Danny returned the smile with one of his own. It was like an entire lifetime went by since yesterday when both of them talked about their lives and Steve learned the awful reality of Danny’s everyday life.

Steve didn’t know if it was the way he was able to open up for the first time to another person that wasn’t his sister, or if it was something about Danny, but he felt some changes inside him he refused to acknowledge prior to their emotional draining encounter yesterday.

There was this brightness always connected to Danny, ever since the first second Steve met him in the alley behind the store. The blonde was scared, but he didn’t bolt. Danny believed Steve enough to know Steve would not call the cops on him, and that Danny was being honest in the reason behind the break-in.

If Steve let himself think too much into it, he’d say that Danny was the sunshine he missed that much from his homeland. He loved the sun in Hawaii. It was always bright and warm. Much like Danny.

He found a new home in New Jersey, but he missed the sun. He missed everything, because New Jersey was so different. Newark wasn’t Honolulu. And Steve missed a part of himself.

And when he met Danny… He somehow felt that maybe that part that he lost all those years ago, finally found its way back to him. And maybe there was something in the way Danny talked, moved, or that heart-shattering story behind that small person that wormed his way inside Steve’s heart, that brought that tiny sliver of hope that disappeared 6 years ago.

Steve never dared to hope. He was always the pragmatic one, working to gain kind of guy, but there was a time in his life where he let himself dream, and actually hope for his dreams to come true one day. Maybe a career in the Navy. Finding someone who he could love. And who would love him. Yet, when Victor spread the rumors, his world, with the words that fell so easily out of Victor’s mouth, Steve stopped hoping. That flame that he kept inside, it was put away to rest, and never lit again.

Until Danny appeared in his life.

It took 6 years, and a Danny Williams later to make Steve realize that the flame wasn’t entirely put out, just waiting under the surface, scratching, trying to get out of the confines of the darkness Steve put it in. When it eventually emerged, it burned as it never did before. With entirely renewed ferocity.

Steve let himself hope again. Let himself think that this could be it, that maybe Danny was that person that would make him whole. It was a little bit premature to dwell on it too much, still they knew each other just for a few weeks, and not much of it could be said about them, but Steve was definitely not going to give up on hope this time.

Because Danny Williams was the sunshine he missed so much, and he wasn’t going to let this opportunity go. And even if Danny didn’t feel the same… It didn’t matter. Only having Danny by his side was enough.

…

_The overprotective half-baked cookie, soft and gooey on the inside was smiling at him_. Danny was excited to go back to work the next day. Because his little hoping heart supplied, you get to see Steve. There was a weird thump-thump in his chest, and Danny didn’t know what exactly caused it. He refused to acknowledge it before today, but it was definitely there. Possibly from the first time he saw Steve. When he broke into his store, Danny was still embarrassed about that and couldn’t even look Steve in the eye for a while after Steve had been so generous and gave him a job. It all came to a head yesterday when they both opened up their souls albeit Danny could feel there was more to Steve’s background in Hawaii, he didn’t dare to ask. It was hard enough that he himself managed to tell Steve about his father.

And for the first time in 3 years, Danny didn’t feel like someone felt sorry or pity for him. There was understanding, support, maybe even a hint of respect and amazement in Steve’s eyes for what Danny had to go through on a daily basis. And everything just to keep his siblings safe.

Danny knew that Steve had a sister, Mary, that was still in Hawaii and that he wished she was with him more than once. So, Steve could understand what he felt for his siblings, and it was easier for him to understand why he endured the abuse in the first place.

What Danny appreciated the most was that Steve didn’t run into conclusions without listening to the whole story, and the most important thing was that he didn’t jump on the bandwagon and insisted on helping Danny, like he thought Steve would. Maybe he was secretly hoping that Steve would offer that, but he knew he’d never accept Steve’s help. The guy helped him enough as it was. Danny didn’t need to be someone else’s burden.

Yet, there was this small part of him that hoped that Steve would rescue him. It was a little bit stupid and cheesy, like in a fairytale, the handsome and tall prince (no pun intended.) that was also rich would come and ask him to marry him.

Danny blushed even more at these thoughts, because as much as he didn’t like to dwell on it, he felt something for Steve, no matter how unidentified that feeling was. It wasn’t a secret that he had inclinations towards the same sex, and he didn’t try to hide it. He was bullied because of it at school, but with time he learned to tune it out. The more he ignored the bastards, the less it hurt.

Now, that he was out of school, it didn’t matter who knew, or who didn’t. He would not be afraid even if his father found out. The bastard lost his say in what Danny liked or didn’t like a long time ago.

He noticed Steve was especially careful with him, like he was handling a fine china. But, Danny secretly liked that, because it meant that Steve cared. Under that gruff exterior was hiding a heart of gold. And that alone made Danny’s heart flutter.

He noticed the sparks that flew through his body whenever his and Steve’s fingers would brush, when Steve would flash those pearly whites at him, just Steve talking… Danny was seriously smitten by this point. And if he read well into Steve, maybe, just maybe there was a chance Steve was on the same page.

And right about now, Danny had decided that it was good to hope again and that he was ready to let that hope lead the way and see where it’d land him.

…

***Few days later***

Steve felt Danny’s presence even before he saw him. Turning around, Steve was met with Danny’s goofy grin that Steve liked very much. Steve noticed that Danny smiled more lately, and that smile looked good on him. Steve was watching him as Danny approached where Steve crouched next to the boxes that arrived just before Danny did.

“What the hell, Steven? You ordered the whole warehouse or something?”

“Yeah, laugh at it while you can, Daniel, but I thought that we could use a few more pieces.”

“It seems to me like they are more than a few pieces here, and thank you very much for creating additional work for me, the one I had wasn’t enough, clearly.” Danny snorted, but it was good hearted and Steve smiled at that.

Danny had muttered a low ‘goof’ before he moved next to Steve.

“So, what do you say we start working on these boxes, and then go and have lunch outside? The weather is nice.”

“You don’t have to do this, Steve. We are perfectly good here, too.”

“Indulge me?” Steve was pouting now, and Danny let out a hearty laugh.

“Okay, okay. Just so you know, for a big badass store owner I wouldn’t have figured you as a pouter, my friend.”

“I don’t pout.”

“Oh, yes, you do. You just did, when I refused to go out to lunch with you.”

“You make it sound like I put a gun to your head and forced you to have lunch with me.”

Danny angled his head and took a good look at Steve. Steve was cooking under Danny’s scrutiny.

“You are something, McGarrett.” Danny said after a while, and continued working on arranging the boxes, while Steve stared at him with incredulity.

…

Even though Danny agreed to go outside for lunch, it took Steve additional convincing to finally get Danny out. It may have had something to do with promising a bucket of chocolate chip ice-cream when Danny was going to Steve’s place next time. Either way, they had a tasty lunch time (Steve let go about his healthy diet and had an XXL burger at Burger King, while Danny ate two per Steve’s request.) , and Danny finally felt like things clicked back to normal.

Danny should’ve known by now that when things looked this good, a storm usually followed, but for the first time he decided that he would not dwell on it and let himself be happy, even if it was just for a few hours while he was working. Another thing to add on the list of weird things about him. He liked school. He liked to work…

Lunch was great, and it felt good to be out with a friend, to get to enjoy himself. It felt weird to have such freedom to get to choose what to do on certain days. It felt like an entire lifetime since Danny felt like this.

After lunch, they went back to the store, Steve working on the calculations for that month’s bills while Danny was sorting some of the goods on the shelves, using the quiet before a customer walked in.

“You know, Steve, I was thinking about the additional boxes you ordered.”

“Yes?” Steve raised his head from where he was hunched over the desk.

“Maybe… okay, you may think this is stupid, but…”

“What is it, Danny? Say it.”

“Promise you won’t laugh at me.”

“Have I ever laughed at you, Danny?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“Okay. So, my idea was that we can merge the toys with one of those cakes you have stashed there.” Danny pointed behind the shelves where he knew some of the sweet treats were hiding.

Steve gave Danny a pointed look and fought off a smirk.

“I figured you’d find them.”

Danny looked at Steve sheepishly.

“You and your sweet tooth… Anyway, I have them in storage, because they are usually sold around Christmas. I mean our family has had a tradition of having them in our stores when the holiday season hits. You’d make a great detective you know that?”

“Hey, you can’t blame a guy for his sweet tooth.” Danny protested. “It’s like they were whispering to me.”

Steve chuckled.

“You are adorable, Danny. Now your idea… I like it. Care to elaborate.”

“What do you say about it? Something like a Christmas package. I bet the kids will love them. I know I would.”

Steve mulled over the idea, and he knew that somehow Danny was right with what he suggested. Once again Steve discovered how perceptive Danny was. And smart. Probably he hadn’t had a chance to experience many things in life that were happy and carefree. He knew a thing or two for having to grow up earlier than intended.

Steve made a note in his head to put away one package for Danny. There was a blue stuffed bear that might or might not have caught Steve’s eye and reminded him of Danny, so adding the package to it wouldn’t be much of an effort.

Danny looked eager. Steve smiled.

“Yeah, I’d think it’s a very smart idea. You can even take some of the packages to your siblings. I bet they’ll love it.”

Danny’s face lit up at that and flashed Steve a very beautiful smile that left Steve breathless.

“So, that means you are seriously taking my idea into consideration?”

“Yes, I do. And not just that. I plan on executing it.”

“It will be profitable, too.”

Steve stared one second too long at Danny, and that’s when he knew he was certain to make his plan to help Danny out work.

“I see. So, let me make a plan and we’ll discuss it, furthermore, when it’s done. What do you say?”

“I say that’s great, Steve. But you may want to finish those calculations first. Bills have to be paid. Seeing as we are nearing the 1st of the month…”

“You are right. Being an adult sucks. ” Steve said and continued working over his desk, while Danny finished with sorting and went behind the store to take the boxes to the dumpster. Which made him think of the first time he and Steve met.

Danny smiled to himself.


	4. A day off from the world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Movie nights - popcorn and soda and just relaxing, sort of a tradition;   
> -Danny falls asleep on Steve’s couch and Steve tucks him in - tummy full of soda and popcorn and cookies;  
> -A talk with Miss Emily in the meanwhile;  
> -Going to the luna park - Ferris wheel ride, shooting, Steve winning a stuffed toy for Danny, eating cotton candy and generally having fun;  
> -Several weeks pass between chapters 3 and 5.
> 
> Sorry for the delay in posting, had some trouble with my computer.

Danny spent some nights at Steve's. They would order in, or Steve would prepare something, showing Danny how to make some dishes, having patience where Danny didn’t and helped him grow and appreciate himself more and more. Yet, there was this insecurity Danny had in himself that he didn’t let himself up completely.

Slowly, but surely Steve was crumbling Danny’s walls. In return Danny did the same to Steve. Steve was talking more and more about his family, about the time he spent in Hawaii, his studies. Danny reciprocated with stories about his own family, back when everything was happy and full of love, especially about his mother. Now, that he didn’t have to keep it inside, Danny lost himself when talking about her.

Steve also came to learn that Danny liked math. And he wasn’t surprised, because he liked it himself. He would have never figured Danny being a math lover, but it worked in his favor for what he had planned for Danny. And was secretly hoping that Danny would not shy away and scream in his face that he didn’t need him to the rescue, and that he wasn’t a damsel in distress. He had put together a list of colleges where Danny could enroll, without looking at the prices, but knowing he’d need a good college with a decent tuition, Steve ruled out those that had expensive tuitions.

Perhaps in a few months he could show Danny and ask him where Danny would want to go. Steve was prepared to pay for it fully, to not leave any strain on his friend. He knew Danny would put up a fuss, but if it meant Danny accepting his help, Steve was willing to pay any price. Nothing else mattered.

Steve sat down, looking at his laptop as Danny was wiping dust and rearranging the cans with minced meat. Danny turned around and smiled. Steve returned the smile. Then his eyes drifted to the screen too.

Maybe it wasn’t a bad thing to look for scholarships too.

…

Somewhere along the way, Danny and Steve established that Thursdays were their official movie nights. Steve had a whole collection of movies, and he always found an excuse to not watch them, so the pile grew. Danny didn’t have much of a chance to enjoy movies. Blessedly in the last two months, his father was doing the odd jobs here and there, so most days Danny was the one taking care of his siblings, or he’d ask Miss Emily to look after them while he was at work or with Steve.

After his mother had died, Miss Emily became something like a supporting pillar, someone he could ask for favor, and who knew what Danny’s father was capable of. Sadly she couldn’t do much more than help him and his siblings when they needed it. She gave him clothes from her nephews that they grew out of. Had two sons who lived in New York but visited from time to time. She was kind, with a heart of gold, and Danny loved her very much.

Every Thursday, he spent time with Stella, Matty and Bridget, entertaining them until 7 p.m. rolled in. Then he’d take them to Miss Emily’s house for the night and go to Steve’s place. Steve would make popcorn and have it ready by the time Danny rang the bell to his door. Steve always had something sweet or savory as snack besides popcorn, and a soda ready for Danny. Danny liked that Steve was well prepared for their movie nights. Then they’d enjoy watching one of the movies, and they’d talk well into the night until it was time for Danny to go home.

Danny gave Steve’s number to Miss Emily in case of emergency and Steve had hers in case Danny couldn’t make it in time and had to stay over. They had developed a pretty good routine.

…

A week after Thanksgiving, they were set to watch “Captain America: Civil War”. They learned that they were both fans of the Marvel comics but neither had the chance to watch the movies up until now, They already had an Iron Man movie marathon and watched “The Incredible Hulk” and “The Avengers". They didn’t have any particular order in watching the Marvel movies.

It smelled of popcorn with butter when Danny got to Steve’s place and the blond didn’t lose a second before he sat on the couch and resumed his usual place. Steve brought the soda and the rest of the snacks and then started the movie.

Danny was barely eating any of the popcorn, he was transfixed with what happened on the screen to do anything else, but it made Steve smile that Danny was such a huge Marvel nerd and that he enjoyed having these movie nights with Steve.

Later they discussed the movie and exchanged opinions in the future of Steve and Bucky.

Danny happily munched on popcorn and drank from his soda, when Steve went to the kitchen.

He was back a few minutes later with a plate of cookies.

“God, that smells divine.”

“My mom’s recipe. I tried to bake them, and I hope they are good. Haven’t made this since I was a kid.”

Danny took one of the cookies and moaned once he took a bite and the chocolate in it melted on his tongue.

Steve didn’t want to admit that the moan made something stir inside him.

“Good?”

“Oh my God, these are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve tried. Like, ever.”

Steve blushed at the praise.

“There’s more where that came from.”

“Please.”

“Then I’ll make more next time.”

“Deal.”

Steve had already packed a decent number of cookies for Danny and his siblings that sat on the kitchen counter.

…

They decided to watch an episode from “Without a trace” when Steve brought up his plans.

“Hey, Danny?”

“Hm?”

“You think your neighbor could watch over your siblings on Saturday?”

‘I suppose. Why?”

“I wondered if maybe you wanted to go to the amusement park.”

All attention was turned to Steve as Danny looked at him with big eyes and mouth agape.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have surprised you like this. But, I was thinking. I know you rarely get to do something for yourself, and I’d gladly take your brother and sisters, too, but I wanted this to be just for you. If you’ll let me.”

“I… I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. Just think about it.”

“Okay.”

They went back to watching the episode.

“I think I’m so full I can’t move.” Danny groaned.

Steve chuckled as he took a sip from his glass. “You have an impressive food belly; I can see.”

He got a pillow in the head for his efforts that turned into both of them laughing their asses off.

Danny ended up falling asleep on the sofa, and Steve didn’t have the heart to wake him up. After firing a quick text to Emily, Steve tucked Danny in.

…

“You sure you are okay with keeping an eye on them?”

“Are you serious, Danny? They are sweethearts.”

“I’m sorry to put you in this situation, but I-”

“Go and have some fun with your boyfriend, Danny. I’ll hold the fort.”

“Miss Emily! Steve is only a friend.”

“Yes, and I’m the President’s wife. Have fun, honey.”

“Seriously, thank you so much. And he is not my boyfriend.”

“Sure, sure. Go.”

Danny waved at her.

…

Steve didn’t know Danny long, but even he could tell that Danny never had as much fun as he did now. They strolled down the walkway, ate cotton candy, and then they did every single ride. The most fun Danny had was at the Ferris wheel. He was delighted to be able to see the whole town from when the wheel stopped when they were on top (Steve paid extra for them to stop).

“Look, there’s a claw machine.” Danny yelled excitedly.

Steve followed and soon, he was trying his luck at shooting and he won a stuffed lion.

“That was awesome.” Danny exclaimed after.

Steve couldn’t stop the huge grin that overtook his face.

“Here.”

“What?” Danny looked confused.

“The lion. It’s for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, Steve.”

Danny hugged the stuffed lion close to him and smiled at his goofy friend.

The day turned out to be pretty good for both.


	5. The week before Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Danny and Steve reflecting on their feels and what it means for both of them what they feel for the other;  
> -Danny solves mathematical problems out of one of Steve’s college textbooks he finds in Steve’s closet;  
> -They admit their feelings and Danny kisses Steve;  
> -They have an important conversation where they lay their cards out.

A week before Christmas found Steve and Danny in Steve’s house, discussing over their plan for the offer with cakes and toys as Christmas presents. The discussion was heated (in a positive way). Danny was explaining how he wanted to make it in wrapping with Christmas motifs, maybe snowmen or snowflakes, and Steve listened attentively to Danny who was starting to drift off in his talk, watching Steve think, hear him think, practically seeing the wheels that were making small turns inside Steve’s brain. Steve literally stared at him with awe in his eyes.

Steve couldn’t take his eyes off of Danny’s hands that were flailing wildly while he was talking. They were probably talking as much as Danny, maybe more expressive than his words.

Was parallel talking even a thing, Steve asked himself as he continued watching Danny move onto another topic altogether. Steve thought that Danny could read the phone book, and it would be okay, because Danny had a nice voice.

Danny spent almost every other day at Steve’s house. And if Steve secretly stashed some clothes in Danny’s size in several drawers just in case, who could blame him? He was simply taking care of Danny.

Steve also had a stash of snacks and sweets for when Danny resided in his home. Because he knew Danny could not afford many things and could not indulge into whatever he liked to. On his secret list, kept away from prying blue-grey eyes, Steve had ‘peppermint pattie’ written, on top of the page, because early on in their routine, Steve noticed his friend’s love for them.

Danny had one hell of a sweet tooth.

And if he noticed that they disappeared mysteriously from his fridge, Steve didn’t say a word. It was their little secret. Danny knew that by the next time he came by, there’d be a refill in the secret hiding spot. He liked that, very much. Scratch that, he loved the fact Steve was so attentive and would do that for him. It was one of the things that made Danny come back to Steve’s every time.

Danny went to change in Steve’s bedroom around dinner time, and when he couldn’t find a t-shirt in the drawer with his clothes (he still had a hard time accepting Steve buying him clothes, but he finally did, after Steve convinced him it was not a big deal) and opened Steve’s closet. He knew he shouldn’t poke around, his Ma taught him better than that, but ever since he and Steve met, there was no sense of personal space between the two.

It scared Danny that he had these thoughts. He could be comfortable in Steve’s presence in his house, have fun and let loose when Danny’s father wasn’t around. He couldn’t fathom having a life outside the one he had now, with Steve in it. Steve was patient, caring, loving. He didn’t push Danny for answers, never asked for things that he knew Danny could not deliver. Yet, he was always there to offer comfort without even being asked. Danny was touch-starved for a long while, but he found he enjoyed the warmth of Steve’s hand on his arm or a squeeze to his shoulder, a hug here and there.

And Danny couldn’t deny that there was something going on with how he saw Steve. He genuinely liked the guy, laughed at his jokes and looked forward to meeting him every day. Danny thought that maybe it wasn’t a coincidence he got to rob the store that was owned by Steve that fateful morning. There was definitely something more about Steve that both excited and scared Danny. He felt something; he just couldn’t put a name to it. He never felt like this before.

And there were stolen glances from Steve too, Danny noticed. Steve flushed easily when Danny did something that got his attention. And for all the bluster and tough guy attitude Danny liked to keep up, Steve was slowly crumbling his walls and softening him up.

He ignored what he was feeling at first, the warm tingly sensation in his belly when he got to watch Steve happy and smiling while they worked together, the looks he was stealing his way, when he thought the other wasn’t watching. Danny hasn't been sure about anything so far. But, tonight, noticing how Steve watched his every move, there was something in the air that crackled.

…

Danny opened Steve’s closet, and he noticed some t-shirts folded but they were on the upper shelf above the shirts and coats that were hanging on racks.

“Yeah, it figures Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome would put his t-shirts that high.” Danny muttered under his breath as he tried to reach the shelf.

When he finally did, he managed to pull more than just t-shirts. Soon, there was a mess on the floor with t-shirts and different books and papers scattered around.

Steve was in the kitchen cooking, and Danny learned that sometimes he got lost in what he was doing so he probably didn’t even hear the loud thud.

As Danny bent over and grabbed at the first item on the floor and a t-shirt with it, he sat on the bed, fascinated by it. Because it was a book with assignments in math. Most probably from when Steve was in college, and he stashed it away so it would not take much space in his room.

Danny spotted a pencil and a stack of papers on the desk that was in the far corner of Steve’s room, where his laptop was resting and charging. He took paper and pencil, found a rubber and sharpener for the pencil and just sat there in the middle of Steve’s king-sized bed and started working on the functions.

He lost track of time and didn’t even register Steve calling him from the door. Immersed in the pool of numbers and probabilities he was writing feverishly on the pages, wolfing the functions down like a hungry puppy.

…

Steve came to find Danny in his room, in the middle of his bed, writing like it was the last thing he was allowed to do. Steve was baffled because of the mess on the floor; all of his t-shirts were down, and some books and papers from when he was a student. What surprised him the most was that he knew how worried Danny was about order, but he decided to forego with tidying for whatever it was that Danny was doing.

Danny had mentioned that he suffered too many hits to count because of his own room being in disorder, and Steve knew how much it bothered Danny to not be orderly. And that whatever had his attention was worth for leaving a mess behind.

Danny didn’t even register Steve’s presence, totally into writing on the pages that disappeared quickly, replaced with a clean sheet. Steve was compelled to look over Danny’s shoulder, but didn’t want to interrupt Danny. Steve remembered the blond telling him that once he was focused on something it took a while to get back at it if he was interrupted.

Steve tidied up as Danny continued working on the bed, and while making a list in his head, Steve realized that his book with assignments in math wasn’t in the items he gathered off of the floor. And the first logical choice was that Danny had it.

And then it clicked for Steve. Math. Danny loved math. He told Steve that he loved solving math problems. And he must have found it enticing that he left the mess behind him and settled himself on Steve’s bed to work on it.

Then another thought came to Steve. The state Danny was in, it was one of a kind, because he didn’t see Danny like that often. It was rare, because it was usually other people that took over control in Danny’s life. His father with having such a strong hold over him, with the lives of his siblings he had sworn to protect. Steve, with snatching his life and giving him a job, that Steve was sure if Danny refused he would have gone to great lengths just to have Danny close to him.

Realization hit Steve hard. Math gave Danny a safe haven. It was clean, efficient, and Danny was in control when he was solving a problem. It was what Danny needed whenever his world was crumbling down. It was a way for Danny to escape reality. In that moment Steve decided that he would give the book to Danny, so he could work on those problems whenever he liked.

For now, dinner was already cooling down, and he was done staring at Danny.

“Hey, Danny.”

The blond raised his head from where it was hunched low between his shoulders and finally registered where he was. It was like coming out of a trance, because it came with the realization that he was in Steve’s room. In Steve’s bed. Solving math problems. And the mess on the floor. Shit.

“Hey, Danny. Danny. Stop, it’s okay, it’s good. Just stop.” Steve came at him and Danny backed up against the headboard, because he was afraid Steve would punish him for the mess that he left in Steve’s bedroom.

“I’m not gonna hit you, Danny. It’s okay. I’m not mad.”

Danny found it difficult to talk. Something was lodged in his throat, as he watched Steve move the papers and the book on the nightstand and sat on his bed.

Steve reached with his hand to take one of Danny’s hands and squeezed it in reassurance. Weird enough, Danny didn’t flinch. He discovered he enjoyed Steve’s light and gentle touch that healed him and grounded him at the same time.

“I’m not mad about the mess you made in my room. I know you didn’t intend to do that. And even if you did, it may seem to you that I am the type of guy that will shoot first and ask questions later, but I’m not. I know what you’ve been through…” Steve stopped and looked at Danny with a pointed look. “Actually, I have no fucking idea about what you’ve been through, but the last thing I want to do is to yell at you for discarding a few books and t-shirts.”

“I… I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.”

“I know you are. And I know you also know it’s not good to leave mess around, but it’s not a big deal if you do. I know that many mathematicians were not exactly the tidiest of people, yet they had brilliant minds.”

“Ah, so you noticed that, huh?” Danny rubbed his hand on his neck, embarrassed Steve figured him out.

“Well, it’s not that tough to find out which book was missing from the pile, since they are my college books.” Steve smiled at Danny sheepishly, and that, in turn, elicited a smile on Danny’s face. “So, what were you working on?”

“Umm, I’m not exactly sure. I tried some of the easier ones, because there were similar we worked on in high school, but then I transferred to the medium level assignments and I’ve been trying to crack this one.” Danny showed to the paper that was on top of all that Steve gathered.

Steve felt like he was back to college when he spent hours and hours of being closed in four walls, solving all those problems. He picked up the book on the page it was opened on and saw the number of exercises Danny had circled. He read the synopsis and what was expected from the person to solve. He also remembered he never got to figure this one out himself.

“You chose a tough assignment, bud.” Steve said as he carefully put the pencil in the book and closed it. “But what do you say we work on it more after dinner? Because the food is cooling off in the kitchen.”

Danny stared at him with mouth slightly agape. “You mean… You mean like you are going to work with me on solving a math problem?” He could not hide the surprise in his voice.

“Well, only if you want me to. Better yet, let’s just be lazy today and watch movies. We can work more on the problems tomorrow after work. Actually, if you’d like, you can take the book with you. And I have a stack of paper, unopened, if you need more paper. And pencils. Just tell me whatever you need.”

“This is not happening.” Danny half-whispered, half-muttered that under his breath. “It’s just… I… Thank you, Steve. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Danny. Whatever you want, it’s my pleasure if I can help. I just wish you came to me sooner with this.”

It put Steve off balance when in the next moment Danny threw himself at Steve. All arms and legs, a fierce hug that Steve was glad to return. It felt good to hug Danny and the sole thought of the funny thing it did to his insides, did nothing to put Steve’s mind at ease.

When Danny finally pulled out of the hug and practically ran off to the kitchen, Steve let out an awkward laugh as he chased after Danny. It felt good to have Danny next to him.

…

Couple of hours later found Danny and Steve on the sofa, watching a movie and eating popcorn. Danny looked engrossed in the movie, but since Steve had seen the movie before, and knew what happened, it gave him a free pass to stare at Danny without Danny noticing (or so he thought.).

He could see the changes in Danny. The wrinkles from worry and fear seemed to ease a bit, and it made him look more his age. He’d put on some weight, and that added to his beauty (no matter how many times Danny would say he didn’t see the appeal of someone seeing him as beautiful.) and Steve secretly reveled in the feeling that he was the reason behind Danny’s changes.

Danny smiled more often, he was more relaxed, more open-minded, and he discussed things at ease. Steve found that he couldn’t start the day without the bundle of joy that was Danny, and he couldn’t get through the day if he didn’t hear the sound of Danny’s voice. He even enjoyed Danny’s rants (great lung capacity, just as Steve noted when he first met Danny).

“Stop staring, you’ll hurt yourself.” Danny spoke without even moving or looking Steve’s way, still watching the movie.

His voice brought Steve out of whatever cloud he was on, and he looked at Danny with dreamy eyes and a goofy smile.

“What makes you think that I am staring at you?”

“The fact that ever since this movie started you haven’t picked up popcorn, and that I can hear the wheels turning in your head…” Danny turned sideways and casted a pointed look at Steve that suddenly squirmed under the attention.

And since when did Danny became such an intimidating guy?

“Ooookay, guilty as charged.” Steve said with a smirk on the corner of his lips.

“Ha, I got McGarrett to admit that I was right for once. That must be a pretty big loss in your books, babe.”

The term of endearment that Danny rarely used, except when he called his siblings ‘babe’ left his mouth with such ease that for a moment Danny stood breathless. It came out naturally, like it was always there.

Like it was meant for Steve, too.

Steve didn’t seem to think much into that one word, but he knew that Danny didn’t entitle people with terms of endearment lightly. So, he felt honored he was one of the very few to make that list and also a heat pooling in his belly at how that one word sounded in his ears.

“Smitten kitten.” Steve barely heard what Danny said.

“Smitten what?”

“You are a smitten kitten.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you.”

“And what brought you to that conclusion, Mister?” Steve teased goodheartedly, secretly knowing where this conversation was going.

The glances Danny threw his way, him noticing Steve staring, practically ogling Danny. And the unspoken easiness with which they both handled each other.

“I was thinking…”

“Don’t hurt yourself.”

“Steven!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop. Go on.”

“Goof.” Danny muttered.

“Like I said, I was thinking. I came to a realization a while ago, but I guess I didn’t want to give too much attention to what I was feeling. But I can’t ignore it anymore. I’m aware we have known each other for only a short time. And I don’t know if I read the signs right, Steve. It’s just, I have never felt like this before, and it’s not something that it will go away. I gave it time, yet, it wouldn’t budge. It has come to camp somewhere around here-“ Danny pointed to his heart “-and it doesn’t want to leave. I’m not sure I want it to leave, like ever.”

Steve stared stunned at Danny and tried to come up with something to say. But, Steve was never big on words. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times.

“Tell me I’m wrong, and I’ll back off. I was never this direct in my entire life, but I feel like if I don’t act on it, it will be forever lost, whatever sense my life has right now.”

“I… Danny, what… What do you want?”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yes, you can.” Steve breathed out.

Danny moved tentatively, with a cloud of shyness around him, yet with fierce determination not to let go of this moment. He put one of his hands behind Steve’s neck and pulled Steve up against him. Then Danny connected his lips with Steve’s. It wasn’t like the kisses Danny saw in the movies, there wasn’t a big explosion when their lips touched. It was just a small peck on the lips, yet it felt glorious.

Because Danny was finally able to communicate to Steve what he felt. And by the glint in Steve’s eyes, Danny got his answer.

…

“I am not gay… At least not entirely. I guess I’m bi.” Steve admitted to no one in particular while staring at the dark screen of the TV. “I never liked labels, but if I have to go with it, I like both girls and boys.”

After their first kiss, the movie didn’t matter, and they both knew an important conversation was coming.

“I always knew that I was gay… That _I am_ gay.” Danny said and stared ahead, finding a spot on the wall interesting. “I got bullied because of it at school.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah. Story of my life. But with time you learn to tune them out, ignore them, for the sake of your mental health.” Danny chuckled at the memory and pulled a long sip from the soda in his hand.

“I guess there was always an interest in guys… But never to anyone in particular. I liked girls, liked to be with them, hell the day I met you? I broke up with my girlfriend the night before.”

“No way.”

“Yup. She and I didn’t agree on some things, and although I liked her, and she was a great friend to have, I just realized that I don’t want to hold her from getting a career in the Navy. So I let her go.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the Navy also your dream?”

“Yes, it was, Danny. Long time ago. That dream died along with part of me when my parents died, and then…” Steve stopped to gather his thoughts when memories took him to that dark place he was at 17, with lies spread about him and who he was. “Let’s just say that something happened on that made me leave Hawaii. The studies were just an excuse.”

This was more than Danny expected from Steve. Steve rarely opened up, but when he did, it was like he gave you bread crumbs, so you could follow his lead and discover the full story by yourself. Danny decided he didn’t want to pry and that when the time was right, Steve would come to him with that particular story.

“I thought what the hell, why would I keep her from doing what she wants, right? I cut all of our ties. I have had the worst hangover in my life. And then Monday morning I come to my store and I see you break in… I almost lost it. But there was something about you that screamed at me to tread carefully. And I did. Made me realize something about myself when I saw you there.”

“There was something I felt, too, when I first saw you. And the way you treated me… You had all the right in the world to call the cops on me.”

“Yet, I haven't. I saw something in you. That honesty in your eyes. It was more than I could bear so I decided not to dwell on it and let it go. So, I took you in under my wing, and the rest of it is pretty much like you described it. Smitten kitten.” Now it was Steve’s turn to chuckle.

“I wasn’t sure if you felt the same as I did, so it was all on a limb here. But if it's any consolation, I’m glad you are on the same page as I am. Because I’m not sure what this is, but I’m willing to try. If you’ll have me.” Danny left it hanging in the air, all the unsaid that consisted of his baggage as a kid that was abused by his father.

“It’s not like a come without baggage, Danny. I’ll have you, as long as you’ll have me.”

“Then, it’s a date.” The blond whispered as he leaned to kiss Steve, his lips lingering longer this time, with more passion, and promise.

“It’s a date.”

“I really like you Steve McGarrett.”

“I really like you, too, Danny Williams.”

They were both new at this, but there was an unspoken agreement that they’d both work more on making it better, and exploring what they had together.


	6. Meet Victor Hesse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This chapter introduces Victor Hesse to the story;  
> -Continuation of McDanno relationship from the previous chapter;  
> -Victor and his obsession with Steve;  
> -Victor finally finds Steve through a blond that gets his attention (Danny);  
> -He finds more information on Danny and starts planning how to get to Steve through Danny.

Victor Hesse moved his job to New York City when the police in Los Angeles started breathing in his neck more insistently. He was living a life with pressure and a lot to do under the radar to stay afloat, so he had to disappear and lay low for a while. The first week of November found him living in the underground of New York City, trying to adjust - to both the cold weather and the rough conditions of the “job” of his choice.

He didn’t change much from the person that people knew a while back when he was in high school. He still was a son of a bitch, a heartless asshole that wanted to own people, to humiliate and belittle them, to threaten them, to torture them, hurt them in the worst possible ways… There was nothing in the book of felonies that one way or the other Victor didn’t do.

He graduated high school 6 years ago together with the point of his fixation in the years that followed, Steve McGarrett. He wanted to own Steve, wanted to have Steve under his mercy, but Victor never succeeded. And then, one day, Steve just upped and left Hawaii, leaving no choice to Victor but to try and find a way to track him down. In the meantime he slowly built his business and looked for an opening where he could find Steve through.

He had a powerful army behind him, starting with his second in command, Anton, his faithful brother that followed him around like a puppy. Anton was a witness to almost all of the horrendous things Victor did, yet, he never spoke up. Because he knew that the minute he opened his mouth, there’d be blood getting out of it. Victor was also very inventive in his threats of how he could end a person’s life, if they just breathed a word of someone else about his shady business.

Victor was known in the underground of Los Angeles for having his own escort service. He had picked his own people well, they were all top and highly paid, and he was making a mountain of money with their help. He was one of the most wanted pimps. Victor could make a deal for every preference a person had, every kink they needed to fulfill, no questions asked. All anyone had to do was to hire him. Victor never shied from any kinks with dubious consent or no consent at all. Even though he liked to take care of his girls and boys, he often had to let some of them go when they were caught up in a situation that couldn’t be resolved with talk.

Often letting go meant murder. Victor hadn't looked twice before he pulled the trigger. It saved him the grief of having the police rapping on his door.

Victor himself didn’t engage with sexual intercourse with people he pimped. He knew a handful of his competition that did that, but he avoided that as much as possible. And in reality there was only one person he wanted to have in his bed and said person had escaped his grasp, so no one really satisfied the need he had. Only Steve could quell that thirst.

Other than the multiple counts on rape his clients performed that could not be proven without enough physical evidence, Victor had a long list of murders behind him that were a direct result to those attacks.

In his free time, when he wasn’t killing people or arranging meetings for his clients, he worked as a mercenary for a man from Japan that paid good money for Victor and his rag-tag group to do his dirty laundry. Other than paying a good amount of money for a hit, he also had ties to the Yakuza. Wo Fat was ruthless, and it was someone who scared even the Victor Hesse.

Still, with everything happening in Victor’s life, his mind often drifted to Steve. The only person he met that escaped Victor’s grasp, only one man he never truly dominated. Steve’s rejection hurt. He may have started well off with spreading rumors about Steve, saying things, but he never actually got to own Steve. Steve was a coward that instead of submitting to Victor, he fled Hawaii.

Anton tried to warn Victor that what he felt for Steve wasn’t normal, that holding a grudge and hoping to get him wouldn’t do Victor or their business anything good. Victor punched him then and that’s when Anton knew he had to shut his mouth if he didn’t want his brother to turn against him in his quest to get to Steve and finally make him obey.

Anton called it obsession. Victor called it devotion.

Victor swore on his honor that one day he’d find Steve. And make him his. Because Victor always got what he desired.

…

As December approached, Victor had already picked a place from where he’d run his business and had Anton to set the payment and other finesse connected to the place, while he roamed the city, looking for people that he might use as his escorts. He already spotted a group of few stunning beauties and negotiated their pay, and since they worked freelance, they agreed to join his house. Of course, mentioning he was king in Los Angeles did the magic trick.

As he was walking down the streets, he crossed the bridge that separated New York City from Newark, New Jersey. Victor decided that it would not be bad if he could find some of his escorts from that town. That way if the police got too close, he’d be able to sidetrack them. He’d have people that would work for him from two different places.

A 5 foot 5 inches tall blond kid with broad shoulders and slim body caught his attention as the guy seemingly walked lost in thought. Victor never had a certain type of people that he liked to fuck, but he had a type of people that excited him on first sight. And the blond was one of those people.

If he got his hands on him maybe he could watch as the blond got fucked… Victor smirked at his brilliant thought. Now, if he could only find him alone and offer him a job…

Victor followed the boy in a trance, and suddenly Victor found himself in a neighborhood with local stores and food markets. The blond entered one of them. And right there, inside the store, was the man that Victor had been looking for so, so long. The man that never left his mind. It was undoubtedly Steve McGarrett in the flesh. Aged and a little bit rough on the edges, but definitely Steve McGarrett.

The blond flashed McGarrett a smile upon entering the store and suddenly, McGarrett wrapped his arms around the smaller man. That ignited a flame of jealousy deep inside Victor. Because no one had ever been able to replace Steve in his heart. Nor the feelings Victor had inside him for that dark haired boy.

Victor always had a sick fantasy and desire towards Steve. An unhealthy obsession with the thought that Steve liked him as much as Victor liked Steve. He thought he owned Steve and that he had some kind of rights over him. Gave himself the liberty to dominate and when he noticed Steve didn’t pay the same attention like he did, Victor lost it. He hoped that with spreading the rumors he’d at least make Steve come to him and beg for Victor to stop. And tell him he, Steve, felt the same. But that never happened. That left Victor reeling.

After he chased Steve away from Hawaii, the rumors spread about how much of an easy fuck McGarrett was, how much he liked to be on the receiving end of things, what a slut for cock Steve was, suddenly weren’t important anymore. But it strengthened Victor’s will to have Steve McGarrett. One day.

No matter the price.

Right now, after 6 years, Victor Hesse had the luck to find Steve McGarrett again. And he would not let this opportunity slip from his hands. Not after witnessing a kiss between the blond and Steve.

Steve was his, and if Victor didn’t have him, no one would.

With that in mind, Victor pulled out his phone, snapped a picture and sent it to his brother with a short order to find out everything about that mysterious blond guy.

He had a new purpose in life.

…

Danny was happy to return Steve’s kiss and enjoyed the embrace they shared. It was three days since they took their relationship to a new level and they both had used every available moment to touch, to hug, to just be next to each other. Danny came to the store earlier than expected, which meant that there was time until they had to open. And Danny could spend time with his favorite person these days.

Steve had a dopey grin on his face the second Danny entered in the shop, and it carried throughout the day. They still worked in sync, and Steve was amazed how the air was lighter and it felt better now that he and Danny were together. It didn’t change much on how they were around each other.

Danny’s father was nowhere to be found for the last three days, and they should have been worried, but Danny was able to spend time with Steve and take care of his siblings, so they didn’t want to burst the bubble they were both living at the moment. It was a glimpse into the future, into the what-could-be.

Steve suspected that it wasn’t just the physical hold, but Edward Williams held a big emotional control over Danny. It was there the whole time. Danny could smile, and laugh, could make jokes and look relaxed, yet, he never was one hundred percent at ease, the danger of his father looming over both of their heads.

The threat of him finding out and making their lives a living hell… Steve sighed. The time would come when they have to tell Eddie. And Steve knew it wouldn't be all rainbows and puppies.

Steve shook his head to chase away the dark thoughts. They were in a new relationship, and they could certainly let themselves enjoy it for a while before both of them faced the bigger picture of what their relationship meant in the grand scheme of things.

It could be looked as a cruel wish from Steve, but nonetheless, he wished for Danny’s father to never bother them. The guy caused Danny and his siblings more harm than good.

While Danny was at work, Miss Emily, Danny’s neighbor was looking after the kids. According to Danny, she loved them all as much as she did her own children. She was a true angel. And Steve liked the woman without even knowing her. Because she took care of Danny. And Steve would be forever grateful for every single person that found it in themselves to help the Williamses.

Steve was simmering with bubbling energy and was itching to see Danny’s reaction to when he’d see the little box he left on the desk earlier.

Danny noticed the fidgety Steve and his look darting between him and the desk. He got suspicious and raised an eyebrow with a pointed look towards Steve.

“What is it, Steve?”

“Uh, nothing…”

“Yeah, well, you look like the cat ate your tongue and it seems to me that you are hiding something. Spill.”

“Um… I may have gotten you a present.”

“You… Are you serious?”

“It’s not that big… I just thought that you should have it now. It couldn’t wait till Monday.”

“Should have what? What couldn’t wait till Christmas, Steven?”

Steve went to the desk and picked up the box. He carefully extended his arm, palm flat open and slightly trembling. Danny accepted it. It wasn’t big, but it was heavy. Danny carefully removed the wrapping and opened the box that contained… a cellphone. To be precise, one of those fancy smartphones that Danny could only dream of. He could remember his schoolmates having the latest models, while he had to buy years behind technology phones, because he could not afford the newest versions.

Danny sighed. He knew Steve thought it out, wasn’t a heartless son of a bitch to rub it in his face that he had financial problems and that they were polar opposites in that. But he also knew that he could not accept this present. It was too expensive and…

He was interrupted from his musings when Steve’s hand made contact with his shoulder.

“Danny, you okay?”

Danny didn’t realize that he was silently crying while holding the box in his hands and he awkwardly tried to wipe off tears and be careful not to drop the box.

“Yes, I am. It’s a lot to take in, babe. I wasn’t expecting you to get me any presents. This… is more than I will ever be able to afford, Steve. I’m not sure I can accept it.”

Steve’s face fell, and he knew, he knew Danny would feel like it was too much, but he needed that small piece of latest technology to keep him sane.

“I’m sorry, I know it sounds rude, but all of this… It’s not how I’m used to live and have things, Steve.”

“I know, Danny. But think of it like this. That’s not just a present, but it’s also a line that will connect us both because we’ll be able to talk even when we are not around each other.”

“Like some sort of a communication device, huh?”

“Something like that, yeah. Because I want to hear your voice every once in a while when I’m not around you.”

Danny gave a long and hard thought to what Steve was saying and found it really tough to say ‘no’ and return the present to Steve. Instead, he decided to accept this small gesture of care and affection from Steve. Danny had to admit to himself that he actually enjoyed when he thought of hearing Steve’s voice before he went to bed. Call him a hopeless romantic, but it was the way his brain worked.

Steve mirroring his thoughts said. “I know this will probably sound stupid to you, but I’d really like to listen to your voice talking in my ear before I go to sleep. And there are many cool things you can do with your phone. I’ll show you all of it. Got you the same model as mine so it won’t be a problem at all.”

“Sap.”

Steve chuckled and just like that the awkward tension was broken.

Danny grinned as he listened to Steve babble about selfies, snapchats and instagrams and he let himself bask in the attention they gave each other and savored the breakfast from the bakery around the corner.

Not aware that someone was watching them through the window.


	7. The calm before the storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Danny calls Mary one day when he learns that it’s her birthday, without Steve knowing;   
> -Danny invites Mary to Jersey, for Steve’s birthday (surprise for Steve’s birthday);   
> -Steve’s birthday is March 10th;  
> -Established McDanno relationship;   
> -Steve tells Danny about Victor (he only mentions Victor’s name and what happened, after Danny accidentally overhears Mary telling Steve he needs to tell Danny about his reasons to leave Hawaii);   
> -False lull of security - Eddie has been away from home more and more;  
> -Danny’s father is gambling (it’s all part of Victor’s plan to get to Steve). Eddie gets in a big debt (Victor pushing him to his limits).

Christmas slowly turned towards New Year’s. Steve and Danny welcomed the New Year together, in Steve’s house, with his siblings. Danny decided that it was time for the most important people in his life to finally meet. They all liked him. Matty tried to rope Steve into playing a video game one of his friends apparently got for his birthday. Steve was too happy to oblige (Danny discovered a new side to Steve that night; he was amazing with kids. And he knew how to play video games.).

“You gotta teach me how to do that, babe. You have them wrapped around your finger.”

Steve smiled and wrapped his arms around Danny from behind.

“Whatever I do, you are their brother. They’ll love you forever. I think I’m gonna stick with the cool uncle.”

Danny burrowed deeper into Steve’s embrace.

Stella was a Marvel nerd herself, and she and Steve went into a heated argument about Team Cap and Team Iron Man. It was a fun affair to watch.

Bridget happily colored on the coffee table.

Danny observed them all from the kitchen and sighed. He realized how much he liked having Steve around. And now with his brother and two sisters breaking havoc in his house, it felt even more at home. Something his house hadn’t felt for long before his mother died.

Blessedly, Danny’s father got called to work earlier that day, and Danny was glad he could spare his siblings the sight of a drunk Eddie Williams for New Year’s Eve.

Danny also noticed that Steve looked at Danny’s siblings with a wistful look in his eyes and Danny recognized the look. He was missing his sister.

Awhile back, Steve told him more about his parents and sister. How she was only 3 years younger than Steve and that she took their parents’ death better than Steve even though she was younger. Steve said that his aunt Deb took care of them when John and Doris died, and that his aunt Deb was of great help when Steve decided to move to New Jersey.

Danny was aware Steve missed his family, his old life. But now he was getting a reminder.

Without Steve noticing that Danny has gone from the room, he went to Steve’s room and took his cell phone out.

…

It’s not hard to find the phone book and pilfer through the names. The pages were yellowed, and Danny could see that it was a long time since Steve wrote down any number, but it wasn’t tough to find the number he needed.

After all there was no one else named Mary Ann.

She picked up on the second ring and for a moment, Danny stopped breathing.

“Hello? Mary Ann McGarrett? You may not know of me, buy my name is Danny, and I know your brother Steve.”

_“Yes?”_

“Sorry, he couldn’t come to the phone, but I, I thought you should know, he misses you.”

There was a silence on the other end of the call.

“Mary?”

_“Yeah… I’m here. It’s just, it’s been a long time since Steve called. I wasn’t sure he had my number anymore.”_

“Oh, he definitely has it. He is busy for the moment, that’s why I am stealing his phone book.”

There was a chuckle on the other side.

_“Who are you, Danny?”_

“I’m Steve’s boyfriend.”

It felt weird saying that, but it also filled him with happiness. _He had a boyfriend._

_“Oh. I… well, that’s great news.”_

“Thank you.”

It was awkward for a bit, trying to find something to talk about, but once they started talking, it was like they knew each other for years.

By the end of the call, Danny was in stitches and Mary sounded happy.

_“Hey, Danny, um, I have to go. I’m actually on a shift tonight.”_

“Okay. Good to talk to you, Mary.”

_“You too, Danny.”_

“Ah, and Mary? Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.”

…

His siblings agreed that they weren’t supposed to tell anything about Steve to their dad. Danny was aware that at this point he was practically forcing his siblings to lie for him, but he was still not out to anyone, especially not his father. Danny couldn’t risk his father losing his shit over his gay son. They were going to tell Eddie; Steve was determined. But, for now they both agreed to keep their relationship secret from anyone that could tell Eddie. Otherwise, there were no reservations about their relationship.

Danny spoke to Mary on a regular basis. She was a sweetheart to talk to, and Danny was finding it hilarious to get the scoop on Steve McGarrett and all embarrassing stories she had on Steve. Even though they only communicated through calls and messages, Danny felt a pull towards the younger McGarrett. It was a friendship in the making and Danny liked that Mary accepted him and didn’t seem to mind him at all for being her brother’s boyfriend.

January passed in a blur of snow, busy days and holidays. Then it gave way to February. It was the perfect time to launch his plan in motion, Danny thought. He just hoped Steve wouldn’t kick his butt for doing something behind his back.

Getting Mary to agree to travel to New Jersey was no hardship. Once Danny mentioned that he wanted it to be a surprise for Steve’s birthday, Mary was delighted. And even though they were both scared out of their minds about Steve’s reaction, it was a risk they were both willing to take.

…

**March 2019**

Mary contacted Danny on her way to the airport. Danny sent back the thumbs up emoji. His father was back and drinking in the kitchen so he couldn’t linger on his phone a lot. Danny made dinner and they all ate in the living room, Danny keeping an eye on his father the whole time. The punches and insults were rare lately, but Danny knew better than to expect his father to calm down enough to be able not to hit them.

Dinner was quiet affair. Afterwards, Matty went back to his room to do his homework, Stella worked on a paper she was due Friday, and Danny helped Bridget with her math lessons. Their father was quiet for the whole time, except for the sound of the bottle cap clicking open when he poured himself a drink. There was this faraway look in his eyes, an empty look that he didn’t even have when their mother died.

Danny was scared. Something was happening, he just didn’t know what.

…

March 10th started like every morning, Steve and Danny opened the store, they worked until 2 p.m. just like they did every day, then they went back to Steve’s house. Danny picked up his siblings after school and brought them with him to Steve’s place. They had everything planned, and for the purpose of their decorating, they needed Steve out of the house.

Steve, bless his heart, didn’t realize they were planning a surprise so he listened to Danny and his craving for cheesecake, today on all days, and obliged in the needs his boyfriend had. With Steve out of sight, the Williamses went to work.

Stella and Matty hung the banner that Bridget worked on for two week straight after school. The letter was mismatched and in rainbow colors, but Danny loved it. He made sure to tell Bridget how much he liked it, and she squealed in delight, hoping _Stevie_ was going to like it. It was adorable how much she took to Steve and this little nickname warmed Danny’s heart.

Danny went to the kitchen to prepare the walnuts-carrot cake, the recipe given to him by Miss Emily. Once it was in the oven, Danny cleaned the kitchen. Then he settled with a cup of coffee on the counter, waiting for Steve’s arrival. Danny knew Steve would be grumpy pants because of it, but Danny decided he could take everything just to see Steve smile and have fun even if it was just for a few hours.

As predicted Steve got back home an hour later. He took in the state of his house and there was a frown forming on his face, when all three of Danny’s siblings jumped from where they were sitting on the couch in a chorus of “Happy Birthday.” Steve’s frown was replaced with a fond look in his eyes, and he accepted handcrafted gifts and hugs.

Danny smiled into his coffee and waited for his turn. Steve could look like a looming danger when he wanted to, but Danny wasn’t above letting Steve brood when it was his birthday. But then, his boyfriend draped himself all over Danny and Danny couldn’t help the giggle when Steve started tickling him.

Danny was shrieking, he knew, but he was laughing too and oh, that sound was foreign to his ears, too long since he last laughed like this. He ended up being misty eyed, but Steve was here and was kissing him, so for a moment, Danny basked in the attention from Steve.

And then the doorbell rang.

“Are we expecting someone, Danny?” Steve asked, curious.

Danny knew who was at the door, but feigned nonchalance as Steve went to the door.

The timer on the oven went off just then and Danny busied himself with getting the cake out of it.

“DANNY!!!”

Danny jumped when he heard Steve calling his name.

…

Steve could feel that Danny had planned something. Sending Steve to buy him cheesecake, claiming he had a craving for it was something Steve could read right through. But weirdly, Danny was shady with the details today. Steve was 100% sure it had to do with his birthday.

Steve was right, because once he was back home, Danny and his siblings had prepared a banner, giving him gifts and hugs. Besides, something smelled heavenly. Steve couldn’t stay mad at Danny for the surprise, once he saw his boyfriend perched on the kitchen counter, looking like a puppy. A puppy that knew was wrong but tried to apologize.

Steve couldn’t resist but kiss Danny. They were interrupted by the doorbell. As Steve got to answer the door, he noticed that Danny tensed up.

Opening up the door, Steve was faced with someone he hadn’t seen for a long, long time.

Six years to be precise.

“Mare?”

“Steve?”

Steve moved on an autopilot and hugged his sister tight. He couldn’t believe his sister was in front of his door, on the doorstep of his house, hugging him as tight as Steve was holding her.

“Oh my God, Mary, what are you doing here?”

“Good to see you too, bro.” Mary snickered.

“Shut up, you know what I mean.”

“Well, you don’t call, you don’t text. I decided to drop by.”

“Are you serious right now?”

“Was I ever?”

Steve cracked a grin and the tension was broken. That was until Steve finally figured it out.

“That was him, wasn’t it? Danny?”

“What?”

“Danny called you. I miss you Mare and I’m sure you miss me too, but this is too much of a coincidence that you are here for my birthday.”

“You caught me. Us. Yes, it was Danny. That boy likes you very much, Steve. He wanted this to be a surprise. And I was only happy to oblige because I love my brother. Besides, I wanted to meet the person that made my brother this sappy.”

“I’m sappy? Oh, I’ll give you sappy. DANNY!!!”

Mary giggled as Steve waited for Danny to come to the hall. They were inside the house now, Steve finally remembering to invite his sister inside.

Danny came out of the kitchen, eyes saucer-wide, his hair messy, probably from running his fingers through it too much. He noticed Mary standing next to Steve and then he looked at Steve. But, all the anger Steve had for Danny arranging something like this behind his back dissipated because the two most important people in his life were in the room. And Danny did this for Steve, without being asked or prompted. It meant more than Steve could say with words.

“C’mere, Danny. I’m not gonna eat you.”

Danny moved slowly towards Steve and then Steve enveloped him in a tight embrace. Danny sagged against Steve and held on to him. In that moment, Mary was convinced that Danny truly cared for her brother.

After a heartfelt reunion, brother and sister moved to the living room. Steve introduced Mary to Matty, Stella and Bridget. Then he left them there in favor of talking with Danny in his room.

“You! Mister, you have to answer questions.”

Danny gulped audibly.

“You are unbelievable. I don’t know what to say. How long?”

“How long what?”

“How long have you been talking to my sister?”

“For about 3 months.”

“Snake.”

“Sorry.” Danny covered his eyes in an attempt to hide from Steve and his blush.

“No, you are not. C’mere.”

Danny was pulled in a fierce kiss that left him breathless and dazed.

“Only you, Daniel. Only you.”

“I wanted to surprise you, Steve. You’ve done so much for me ever since I met you. And if I could return just a bit from that to you…”

“You know I don’t need anything else than you, right, Danny?”

“I know, Steve. But I wanted to give you this. I know how much you missed Mary and your aunt. You deserve to be happy Steve. Besides, it’s your birthday.”

“What did I do to deserve you, Danny?”

“I ask myself that same question every day for the last 6 months.”

Steve stared at Danny for a moment, mesmerized.

“You have no idea how incredible you are. But, we should probably go back to the living room. It’s time for cake.”

Danny’s eyes practically shone with his unbidden love for sweets.

“But no cake for the snake. Ha, it rhymes.”

Danny looked at Steve with his puppy dog eyes.

“Such a shame. There’s a cherry cake in the fridge that I ordered especially for you, Danny…” Steve shook his head and smirked.

“Pretty please, Steve. I wanna have that cake.”

“It’s of no use, Daniel.”

“Please.”

By now, Danny was pouting, and damn, he was adorable. How could Steve deny anything to that pout? But, he teased Danny a bit more.

“Dunno, Danny.”

“Give Danny his cake, Steven.” Mary’s voice reached Steve.

“What are you now, his lawyer?”

“Considering I’m on my third year of law school, damn straight I am Danny’s lawyer.”

“What?”

…

Steve’s birthday turned out to be a fun affair. They had cake, laughed and played games, painting Steve’s face with whipped cream from the cake and making him blow out the candles.

Steve realized that turning 24 wasn’t that much different than turning 23, only that he got to celebrate it with family.

_Family._ That one word got stuck somewhere in his chest and Steve couldn’t stop thinking about it while he stared at his expression in the mirror.

Steve gave Danny a day off, as he wasn’t planning on opening his store today. Steve wanted to spend more time with his sister.

Mary was already awake when Steve emerged from his room. He poured himself a large cup of coffee and added butter in it.

“Ew, you still do that?” Mary looked at Steve disgustingly. Putting butter in his coffee had been a habit he picked up as a high school student when he was training as a part of Kukui High football team.

“Don’t give me that look. I get that enough from Danny as it is.”

“Well, he is right.”

Steve pulled a face and Mary snorted.

“How have you been, Steve?”

“Gee, Mare, way to start a conversation for breakfast.”

“Forgive me, brother, but I didn’t have the luxury to ask you that question for almost seven years, so don’t give me that bullshit.”

“Sorry.”

“I know, Steve. Believe me, I know you are sorry. I know you were scared; you probably still are, but it’s me, Steve. I’m your sister. You can tell me everything.”

“I’m good. Really. I think I finally feel like I can breathe again. The store is doing well, I am making money, not living off of my inheritance.”

“Definitely not a rich snob.”

“Definitely.”

Mary chuckled.

“And there’s Danny. He is a large part of the reason why I’m feeling okay. Like balance is restored or some mumbo jumbo like that.”

“He is good for you, Steve. I can tell. You practically light up when he appeared in the hall yesterday.”

“Shut up.”

“You practically had stars in your eyes, Steve.”

“Mare, I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Yes, to the walls of this house and maybe the pictures and books, probably.”

“He makes me happy, Mary. I’ve never felt like this before. I’ve dated. And believe it or not I had ended a relationship the weekend before I met Danny.”

“Ooooh, tell me about it.”

Steve decided to keep the details tame, realizing he didn’t want Mary to doubt Danny if she knew he robbed Steve’s store. Steve told her how Danny came to the store one day, and Steve decided to offer him a job because he really needed help, but there was something about Danny that pulled Steve right in.

It wasn’t a complete lie, but it felt like Steve was admitting something more than feeling like he needed to keep Danny in his life. There was the possibility of Danny not accepting his offer, and Steve did kind of snatch him, not giving him much a choice, but at the same time, Danny could have said no. He could have decided not to show up at the store the next day.

And Steve wasn’t sure how things would have turned out if Danny didn’t.

“Have you told him?”

“About what?”

“Victor. Does he know?”

“Only that there was something in high school that drove me away from home.”

“You need to tell him. He has the right to know, Steve.”

“Mare, I-”

There was a sound of shoes scuffing on the floor before Danny’s familiar voice was heard.

“Tell me what?”

…

Danny forgot his cell at Steve’s place. After dropping off his siblings to school, he decided to go back to retrieve it. He knew Steve wanted to spend some time alone with his sister, but if he didn’t have his phone with him, his contact with Steve would have been severed. And Danny didn’t want that.

He had a key from Steve’s place; Steve gave it to him shortly after Christmas. Steve made it sound like it was out of necessity, with Danny being in the house more and more as time went by, but Danny knew it was more, Steve was giving away part of himself to Danny.

Danny didn’t mean to overhear. He was raised better than that. But listening to the hushed tones of Mary and Steve talking he was curious, because Mary mentioned Hawaii and why Steve left.

“You need to tell him. He has the right to know, Steve.”

“Mare, I-”

Danny approached closer, and he knew they noticed his presence when they turned their heads towards him.

“Tell me what?”

Steve looked horrified and for a moment Danny decided to just get out of there, but Steve beat him to that.

“Let’s head to the living room.”

Danny shuffled his feet and sat on the couch. Steve sat on the opposite end and Mary ended up in the rocking chair.

“You remember when I told you about Hawaii. That there was a reason why I left my home and came here.”

“Yes. Because of your studies.”

“Well… that’s not the whole story.”

“Hm?”

“If I wanted to, I could have easily gotten into any college in Hawaii. But I needed to go away. Needed an escape."

"Why?" Now Danny was confused.

"There was this kid. In high school. Victor. He was obsessed with me. Followed me everywhere, he was practically my shadow. Victor was few years older than me, but he couldn't finish high school anywhere else so his father got him enrolled to Kukui High. His father was a wealthy man."

Danny nodded for Steve to move on.

"Victor thought that he could have everyone and anything he wanted. He made advances towards me. I was young and inexperienced. But, I didn't want to have anything with him. I wasn't sure yet if I liked boys, too, but if I wanted to try, let's just say Victor wasn't my first choice."

"Sounds like a creep."

"Oh, believe me, he was. I rejected him. Every time. He had this weird fixation with me, like he wanted no one else to interact with me except him. One day, I guess he finally had enough. He told the whole school I was gay."

"Oh my God, Steve! He outed you without your permission?"

"Yes."

"That must have been tough. I'm so sorry."

Steve smiled and took Danny's hand in his and squeezed.

"The toughest thing I had to go through after mom and dad died."

Danny heard Mary suck in a breath.

"Steve was in a bad place for a while. On top of outing him, Victor spread lies for him. How Steve liked to have things shoved up his ass and how Steve was a cockslut. Kept coming at Steve, still even after what he did. Turned half the school against my brother."

"That's rough."

"Yeah." Steve sighed. "Struggling with my sexuality, still dealing with the aftermath of the death of our parents and Victor's words… I was going out of my mind. I wanted to crawl out of my skin."

"So, you decided to leave." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the brightest idea. I left everything behind. My sister, my aunt, my life there. The opportunities I might have had for a life in Hawaii if I stayed. But Victor had a hold on me, and I needed to go someplace else. "

"That's how you ended up in Jersey."

"Yep."

"So sorry to hear about what happened, Steve. I shouldn't have-"

"No, no, Danny. Please. I was going to tell you anyway. Just waited for the right moment I guess."

"It must have been hard to keep it inside all these years."

"It was. But, you taught me that sometimes I should let go."

Danny threw himself at Steve and hugged him tight. Steve welcomed the hug and burrowed into the warmth that not only Danny's body, but also his personality, provided.

"I'm glad you decided to share this with me, Steve. Thank you."

"Thank _you_ , Danny."

"Are you gonna continue hugging like a bunch of saps without inviting me to the hug? What does a girl need to do here to get one?" Mary playfully grunted to ease the tension.

Steve and Danny simultaneously opened their arms.

…

**April 2019, Atlantic City**

Victor grinned in victory as he watched Edward Williams lose another round of poker. He managed to find an underground casino in Atlantic City for the night, and Anton was convincing enough to get Eddie to gamble. The promise of more money and a better life were tempting enough.

Right now, Eddie owed him 100 thousand dollars, and in principle, Victor never let anyone get that far in owing him money. But, in this case the money came second, because his real target was Steve, and to get to Steve he had to get to Daniel Williams first.

Victor stopped the game, before Eddie gambled his house and kids out, and smirked as Eddie sweated profusely, wringing his hands.

“I’m sorry Eddie, but you owe me big money now. You have to find a way to pay me back.”

“I… I will. But… I, I don’t have any money now. I’m sorry. I don’t know how this happened.

_Oh, I know, how it happened_ , Victor thought to himself.

“I suggest you start collecting money then. Because if not, we’ll start collecting ourselves.”

Eddie gulped audibly. He was shaking. Victor was willing himself not to laugh. This was so easy.

His plan was finally set in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it then a few facts are in order:   
> -First, Danny arranging Mary Ann to come to Jersey (the whole message and talk thing was Lunedd's husband and I plotting my being her birthday gift - how has it been 5 months already since my trip???).  
> -Second: the beloved "snake" is what I've been dubbed by her when she learned of our shenanigans, but she was too happy when she saw me there so snake is a term of endearment now (sort of).  
> -I really miss her and I hope all this madness with the virus ends once and for all and I can visit again.


	8. Hell is empty and all the devils are here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Victor’s plan how to get to Steve through Danny. Using Danny’s father, he makes Eddie lose a lot of money and be in debt. When he comes to collect, Danny is scared, because he doesn’t want to look for money from Steve;  
> -Victor suggests Danny to give him a blowjob and meet one of his clients (he explains he runs an escort). Danny doesn’t want that, but faced with the outcome, he agrees;  
> -Victor takes him to a remote location and Danny blows him in his car. Unknown to Danny, Victor films the whole thing (for blackmailing purposes);  
> -Victor then sets up the meeting with his client. Danny doesn’t tell Steve anything;  
> -This happens in the span of a couple of days so Steve doesn’t have much time to realize things are wrong (until Victor pays him a visit one night);   
> -Victor introduces himself as Hesse and Danny has no idea that this is the same man that was obsessed with Steve;  
> -Victor’s execution of the plan happens in April.
> 
> As for Danny's and Hesse's encounter. Steve didn't tell Danny what Victor's last name was, and also not every Victor is that Victor so that's why Danny didn't connect the dots at first. In case that has to be cleared in advance.
> 
> "Hell is empty and all the devils are here" - William Shakespeare

**February/March 2019**

Victor was busy with saving the data on his computer about his workers and the additional info his brother was able to dig (just in case someone decided to bail out on him), enjoying a fine cigar and a 20 year old scotch. He liked to live life to the fullest, and lots of his income went in satisfying his luxury needs.

Anton knocked on the door and entered without Victor confirming he could go in. That’s how they worked, Anton wasn’t timid on getting in whatever it was that Victor was doing. Full trust.

He was holding a file in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other.

“Hey, brother, what brings you here?” Victor slightly slurred his words, and Anton shook his head. Victor was on a good way to get drunk and then do something irrevocably stupid if he let him go outside.

Luckily, Anton had the right amount of fun Victor needed to stay put for tonight.

“Daniel Williams.” Was Anton’s curt answer before he sat on the chair opposite Victor and placed the file in front of him.

“Who?” Victor arched a brow and stared at Anton, as his brother pushed the folder towards him.

“The blond that you sent me the picture of. The one that’s fucking McGarrett.”

“No one is touching McGarrett. He is mine.” Victor growled.

Anton just snorted, not sure why he even poked the bear with the comment he made, but soon enough the conversation was forgotten in favor of Victor going through the file.

Victor lost himself in reading every little detail about Daniel Williams and what could make him vulnerable and act out of his comfort zone. He had to make plans that involved Daniel committing to something that will forever ruin his relationship with McGarrett.

Victor learned that Daniel’s father was an alcoholic and that he had a brother and two sisters, his mother deceased. And he also learned that in his young days, Edward Williams had a penchant for gambling.

“Anton, you are a miracle worker. So thorough.”

“Always the best for my brother, right?”

“Indeed. You are the best, brother. Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”

Anton left Victor pondering over the information about the Williams’.

…

It took Victor close to a month to plan the whole approach. He had people keep an eye on Steve, Daniel and Edward at all times. He learned that Steve’s sister, Mary Ann visited Steve in the meantime and that pretty much at this point he and Daniel were attached at the hip. Victor hoped that with his plan, that would change soon and he’d have an opening to come close to Steve.

Victor had the perfect plan in mind that had a few loopholes he needed to smooth out before he executed it. He felt reinvigorated by the want and the lust for Steve. It stirred something that was long buried inside him, and it excited him all the more he thought about it.

It was time Victor revisited the past, again. And if Steve didn’t go willingly, he could always use force. But Victor was sure with Danny out of the way, he could get to Steve faster.

Anton observed how his brother’s face changed, and by the time Victor raised his head and looked at him, the predatory grin on his face and glint in his eyes, told Anton that he wasn’t far wrong with his assessment that Victor had a plan already formed.

This was going to be fun.

…

**April 2019**

As much as everyone thought that staging a poker game was easy, doing it in practice wasn’t. Victor had to find the best poker players from his people, and to mark cards and place them carefully where he wanted.

Next in line was planting the seed of a big win to Eddie, and that was Anton’s job, that lend money to Eddie and let him think about the game.

Eddie then came to the house and played. It was easier than expected.

By the end of the night, he lost all the money Anton lend him, and Eddie as in a frenzy, swearing that if they gave him time he’d find money. Victor just smirked, knowing he had Eddie in the palm of his hand now, waiting for the perfect moment to burst the bubble in which Steve and his boyfriend lived in.

…

There was a saying that got Danny to think that for every good that happened in his life, there were ten bad things that followed. Not that he was a pessimist, but bad things seemed to rain on him. Ever since he knew about himself. And usually they outweighed the good moments. The happy moments.

One afternoon when Danny got back home from work and it was still five days since his father went MIA and no word came from the streets, cops or hospitals (honestly, the guy was his father, but Danny had other priorities in his life right now to take care of his father, too.)

His siblings were with his neighbor again, and he couldn’t stop apologizing to the good woman that took them in while he was working, while she kept reassuring him that she didn’t mind taking care of them and to go and have some alone time for himself, be it work or anything else.

Danny let the keys drop in the bowl on the table and sat on the couch to unwind from the day. They just got a new shipment of goods today and Danny was wiped out from arranging them. He brought the mail with him on entrance and decided to pilfer through the pile on the table and see if there was any additional bill he had to pay (it was always more and more, in his opinion.).

The doorbell rang at that moment, and Danny heaved himself off the couch with difficulty.

When Danny opened the door, there was a man standing there. He was older than Danny by a few years, and he looked like trouble.

“Hello. I assume you must be Daniel.”

The guy had an accent. Definitely not from here, Danny noted. But other than that, he had no idea what the guy looked for.

“Who are you?”

“You can call me Vic. Victor Hesse. Whichever you prefer.”

“Am I supposed to know who you are?”

“Well… considering your father has a debt he hasn’t paid, yet, I think you should.”

Danny didn’t get past the word debt when he started shaking. With rage, anger, hurt. Just how could he? How could his father do this to him, to them, to their family? How could his father gamble with money someone else lent to him, and conveniently disappear when the debt had to be paid and he was LATE with it. This was outrageous.

“How do I know you are telling me the truth?”

“You’ll just have to trust me kid, he owes me big money. Hundred grand.”

“No fucking way.”

“How about we sit down and I explain everything to you?”

“How about you go straight to the point before I lose my temper?”

“Feisty little thing.”

“Call me little again and I’ll show you.”

Danny had fight in him. Victor liked that. He would definitely make a good fuck and a squirming little bitch for whoever got to take him.

“Just tell me who you are, and what do you want from me or leave!”

“No need to be so rude. I am just trying to help.”

Danny closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“What happens now?”

“Since you can’t afford to pay me back-“

“How do you know that?”

“You think I’m that stupid not to check every person that gets on my way, Daniel?”

Danny squirmed.

“There’s something you could do for me. Of course, there’s the option of you not accepting my offer. But with that, you will also put your siblings in danger and you don’t want that, do you?”

“Do not mention them. They’ll stay out of this.”

“Good.”

Victor let the smugness to simmer slowly under the surface, as he carefully chose his next words.

“Option number one. You help me out with a thing, and I’ll pardon half of your father’s debt. The rest of what your father owes me, either you or him will find the money and pay me back every penny with interest.”

Danny gulped audibly.

“Option number two. I’m feeling frisky. You give me a blowjob and meet one of my clients. Have sex with a client of my choosing and then your father’s debt will disappear.”

Victor could see the color draining from Danny’s face.

“I’ll explain everything to you better, once we get acquainted.”

Danny desperately wanted to say no.

His first instinct was to call Steve. But, as Danny thought more carefully about the whole situation, it seemed so unfair for him to put all of this burden on Steve. Danny decided against calling Steve. Steve could do without Danny’s father’s debt.

Danny looked at Hesse and nodded.

Danny was pretty much sure he would regret this choice later. But there was really nothing else he could do at the moment, and he wasn’t about to wait around for his father to come home and ask for an explanation.

Hesse drove them to a remote location and then sat in the backseat, Danny following suit. Nothing felt more real when Hesse unbuttoned his pants and slid them to mid-thigh along with his underwear.

…

Unknown to Daniel, Victor had a camera installed in his car that filmed the whole encounter.

…

Danny was glad that Miss Emily agreed to have his siblings for the night, because he knew he was in no condition to take care of them right now. He invented a half-assed excuse about having a bad case of the stomach virus everyone was getting these days. He even sounded like it, after hours of trying to wash away the foul taste in his mouth and the raw screams in his pillow after Hesse dropped him off.

Danny showered, promptly throwing up everything he had inside, twice, and then using the whole bottle of mouthwash. But even after that, the afternoon with Hesse left him reeling. Hesse patted his cheek after he had used his mouth to get off and said that Danny giving him a blowjob was only half the payment and that if Danny or his father couldn’t find the rest of the money, there was no more options.

Hesse was a pimp, he told Danny so much when they met earlier today. And he bragged how Danny would make a great addition to his team of hookers. The way he was talking had Danny’s skin crawl, but the reality of the situation was that Hesse threatened Danny with his siblings too, and although Danny wouldn’t have hesitated to leave his father fend for himself, no one touched Stella, Matty and Bridget. He’d take anything for them.

It would be just once, with a client that would have paid good money for someone that was just starting up in the business. Logically, Danny knew he should have told Steve about everything, before he agreed to pay Hesse with a blowjob, before he even thought of doing what the man asked of him. But, Danny was stubborn as all hell, but he wasn’t about to ask Steve for a loan when it wasn’t his place to ask for that money, first. His father fucked up, once again, and Danny was paying the price. He was a fool to think that things could go back to normal.

The internal debate with himself was to accept or not accept the offer, it was just one time stand after all, according to Hesse. He’d get the money, and then pay what his father owed to him everything would be forgotten.

He was in a lose-lose situation, because the only one he could turn to was his ridiculously rich boyfriend. Danny had some money saved. Still, it wasn’t enough. He could ask around and see if he could get a second job, but that was too risky. A lot of people in the neighborhood knew him from when he did a delivery to their homes, and the rest of them were customers to the store, so anyone could say something to Steve and warn him about his activities.

And Danny could not afford that. Not now. Not when this thing could possibly ruin their relationship. If Steve was willing to take him back after what happened today.

Danny wiped the tears that started running down his face. It hurt him not telling Steve anything, and he couldn’t bear to look into his eyes.

As if on cue, Danny’s phone rang and interrupted him in his musings.

“Hey, Steve.” He answered dejectedly and without the usual cheer he had in his voice when his boyfriend called.

“Hey, Danny. What’s up, buddy? Something wrong?”

_Damn you, McGarrett._

“Nah, babe. I’m good. Just exhausted. I had to clean the house and run for groceries on my way back.”

A lie.

“I called you to tell you something. Just got a call from the bank today.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s about payment.”

Danny’s heart froze.

“Hm?”

“I’m sorry, Danny, but your paycheck will be delayed for one more week. There’s been a problem, I’m gonna try to get to the bottom of it tomorrow, because they can’t screw me over like this without a reason. I just… I’m so sorry, baby. I guess I could do something different if you’d like, give you money on the side. I’m really sorry.” Steve apologized again and Danny’s heart was breaking into a million little pieces with every next work.

The universe must be hating him so hard to do this to him, right when he needed every penny he could get.

Danny closed his eyes at the onslaught of tears that pricked at his eyes and clamped his mouth shut, a sob stuck in his throat.

“Danny? You there?”

“Yes, I’m here. I’m sorry that has happened, Steve. I’m sure that it was not your fault. It’s okay, really.”

“It’s not okay, Danny. You need the money and I…”

_You have no fucking idea how much_.

“It’s okay, Steve. Look, I gotta go. Have to get my siblings back and make dinner. I guess I’ll call you later, huh?”

“Yeah, call me. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Danny interrupted the call and let his tears fall again, for the second time that day. His life was getting more fucked up by the minute, and suddenly the decision was made for him. Because he was at a dead end.

The only one way out was Hesse’s offer.

Firing off a quick text to Steve to ask for two days off, he called Hesse and arranged a meeting.

…

Danny was nervous as hell.

He tried to steel his nerves that were racketing up in the air. He was on the border of having a full blown panic attack, and his mind screamed at him to call Steve, but his heart was saying “don’t do that.” It was hard for him to keep such a big thing from his boyfriend, but it was his fight and he was going to fight it alone.

Wiping the tears that still fell freely, Danny changed his clothes and got out of the house. Miss Emily was supposed to have his siblings up until the night, so he had plenty of time to see Victor and then maybe even go to Steve. He needed his boyfriend.

His internal dilemma intensified as he walked down the streets and the meeting approached. Danny was so scared and feeling alone. Now more than ever.

…

Victor noticed Daniel Williams approach the park where he called him in. He could see the insecurity and the lack of experience in the guy. He was so not his type, but he could definitely serve the purposes of his plan.

He already had one client on hold for the boy. Victor assured him right after he talked with Daniel, that the recent addition to his escort service was a young blond male, short, with striking blue eyes. And the most important thing that the man asked for was that the boy should be a virgin.

In his line of work, Victor encountered all kinds of perverts and people that had some strange kinks, an itch that needs scratching. They knew who to ask for (discreetly, of course), so they could get the maximum pleasure out of the situation and the guys behind the curtains to all get the added bonus to the profit they were already making.

He approached Victor shortly after the word had gotten out that he transferred his business to NYC. He had only that one preference and it fit perfectly in Victor’s plan. What a better choice than Danny Williams, Steve’s boyfriend? The word sat sourly on his tongue. Boyfriend.

Victor thought highly of himself, he was convinced he knew how people tick, and he thought he knew how Steve ticked. Right now, that inner voice told him that Steve was still not comfortable in his own skin…

He was cut out of his reverie by Daniel.

“Hesse.”

“You made it.”

Daniel looked nervous, Victor noted.

“Before we proceed, can I call you Danny? Daniel seems awfully formal for someone that had my cock-“

“Yeah, okay, you can call me Danny. No need to tell all Newark about… _that_.”

Danny spit the word like it was poison on his tongue.

“Okay, Danny. Shall we get to business?”

“Yes.”

Danny sighed. There was no going back now.

…

Victor was pleased to hear that Danny accepted the offer and he already told him where he could meet with his client. He could tell Danny was disgusted with the prospect of selling his body in exchange of money, but he also knew that he was desperate. Victor quietly laughed as his wicked plan was set in motion.

He hummed as he was thrumming with energy, firing the engine of his car and crossing the bridge that led him to Newark. His destination was “Five-0.”

Just as predicted when he turned around the corner, Steve was there, locking the door. He came behind Steve and spoke in a low and dangerous voice.

“Well, hello there, McGarrett.”


	9. If you only knew I’m hanging by a thread

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Danny meeting with Victor’s client;  
> -The client tries to force himself on Danny;  
> -Steve arrives in time to prevent Danny from being raped;  
> -In the meantime, Victor pays Steve a visit and openly threatens Steve saying that his boyfriend is in danger (not directly);  
> -Victor shows the video of Danny giving him a blowjob to Steve;  
> -Steve is frantic and starts searching for Danny;  
> -Steve finds Danny’s location via his phone and goes to call the hotel where he finds Danny;  
> -TW for this chapter: attempted rape on Danny (undressing, touching, fingering - nothing more than that happens). Also some violence (the client slaps Danny multiple times and he is rough with him).
> 
> In lights of tomorrow's episode and not knowing what it will entail regarding Danny (all those promo pics were scary enough to come up with an idea or two), I'm dropping the "bomb" tonight and then tomorrow if all goes well, chapter 10 should be up.

**April 15th, 2019**

Even though it was April, and the weather turned pleasantly warm, the air was still cold once the hours turned into night.

Danny was freezing on the side of the road while he waited for the man that Hesse made a deal with. Danny forgot his name the moment he heard it. It wasn’t that important, because after tonight he would not see him, nor even think about him again, so why bother with the introduction, right?

A car, an unmarked Ford Crown Vic approached the place where he waited by the curb. The reality crashed hard into him, this happened only on TV. Not to real-life people.

He was screwed. So, so screwed.

A guy around his 40s got out of the car and approached Danny.

“Are you Danny?“

“Yes.” Danny answered with a small voice, trying to shrink in the ground.

“I’m Will. Hesse told me I could find you here.”

Danny just kept staring. The guy started to become fidgety, and he reached out to grab Danny by the forearm and tugged sharply to get him in the car.

“Listen, kid, I don’t mean any trouble, but if we want to get straight to business, you better start thinking and acting on it. Understood?”

Danny was roughly shoved on the front passenger seat, and he nodded, closing his eyes when ‘Will’ slammed the car door shut.

The drive to the hotel was uneventful and silent. But halfway through it, Danny felt a hand on his thigh. And he startled.

Danny was always in motion, even when he was sitting, but he managed to keep still while the guy drove them around. Now… Now, though, he started moving, but he couldn’t actually remove the hand from where it was, because he agreed to this.

Danny closed his eyes as the hand moved towards his crotch and bit his lip hard when the hand closed on his cock through his jeans.

As Will started massaging him through his jeans, Danny felt bile rising up his throat. He was trying to control his breathing, but he failed miserably. His breath hitched, and Will took it as a sound of pleasure, tightening the hold on Danny’s cock.

Luckily they arrived at the hotel and Danny tried to school his features while the guy took the key card for the room he had previously booked.

Danny had calmed his breathing by then, but his heart started racing as they rode the elevator. When Will grabbed him by the forearm with a bruising grip, Danny knew it was just the start of what was going to happen to him.

He was pushed into the room.

Danny didn’t even have time to see his surroundings before Will pounced on him and he was shoved on the bed face down. Danny was full on squirming now. He knew the guy wouldn’t be the gentle type, but Danny hoped the creep would give him time to prepare.

In the next moment Danny was hauled off of the bed as Will unbuttoned his jeans, slipping one hand on Danny’s abdomen to keep him steady. The hand felt like a vice around his body, and it was cold, so cold. The emotionless and unceremonious shoving and pushing gave Danny the impression that it would be a long night, if the guy currently bruising his skin would have his way with Danny.

Danny cursed his father and cursed his inability to ask for help. Because if he asked Steve to give him money, Danny wouldn’t have to endure this humiliation, _this prick_ touching him.

Will took off Danny’s shirt and his jacket and when the jeans and boxers were finally off, Danny felt Will’s hand on his thigh again, in a similar manner as in the car. Danny tensed.

“Relax, would you? It will be fun and good, I’ll make it enjoyable.” Will was whispering in his ear, and Danny thought that he may actually throw up right then and there.

"God, look at you. Your body is just the right amount of skinny. Mmmm… You are just the way I like it." With that, the man circled one of Danny's nipples. Danny gritted his teeth. He thought his first time would be different. This should have excited him, right? He should have felt warmth, arousal and pleasure. But all he felt was fear, nausea and pain.

Danny felt filthy and disgusting just being touched by those hands, and when Will’s hand closed around his cock and tugged few times experimentally, Danny closed his eyes and silently prayed for it to be over soon.

Suddenly the guy squeezed him so hard, Danny yelped and the hand on his stomach gripped him impossibly tighter. _It was definitely going to bruise_ , Danny thought.

Danny’s strangled moan in pain translated to something else to the man, obviously, because he took it as his cue to do more. He moved his hand, up and down, circling the head, pulling, squeezing. Danny tried not to grunt or yell or do anything that would make the man think he enjoyed this.

Will turned him around and pushed him so Danny landed with his back on the bed. The guy quickly divested himself of his clothes. He was naked and advanced at Danny in no time.

The guy was big, taller than Steve, and bulkier. It gave Danny the impression that he may have been a bully, by the way he wanted to control and tower over Danny. Danny started feeling hot with the naked man on top of him, and not in a good way. The guy wasn't exactly light, and Danny hated when he was pinned down with no means for escape.

Danny felt crushed by him, and the old spark of claustrophobia that hadn’t been active in a long time, had flared to life.

Will’s eyes raked over Danny's body and Danny felt like he was too open and vulnerable in front of this complete stranger.

He whimpered as Will moved his hand back to his crotch, but suddenly his other hand closed over Danny’s mouth. It felt like Danny’s world was crumbling down, because it hurt to breathe through his nose, when he didn’t have too much leverage with how he was held down.

His breathing came in shallow, and soon enough he relaxed in Will’s hands that were dangerously close to his opening now. The lack of air might have been responsible for Danny going pliant.

Without a warning a finger slipped into him, and Danny howled in displeasure and pain. But the howl was muffled by the hand on his mouth. He tried to fight, but when he moved his arm to remove the hand that was breaching him, _right there_ , Will removed it and slapped him to subdue him. Danny whimpered as he felt a large hand touch his bicep. The hand was touching him lower on his arm, coming to his wrist. The man squeezed then and Danny screamed silently at the instant pain that shot through his arm.

“Please, don’t hurt me. Please.” Danny sounded small begging Will.

“Hesse told me you agreed to do this. I am aware it’s your first time, but I aim for both of us to have some fun. If you keep squirming and fidgeting, or if you move a muscle, by the time I’m finished with you, your own parents won’t recognize your body. Am I clear?”

Danny nodded, unable to utter a word. This time Will didn’t put his hand on his mouth but every few seconds he would pinch Danny’s nipple, or slap him on the belly and chest, grip hard at Danny’s hips and thighs, while his fingers pumped into Danny in a forceful rhythm.

"Aren't you gonna use lube?" Danny asked, but even to his own ears, his voice sounded quiet and pathetic.

Will snorted, but didn’t reply.

The lack of lubrication was hurting Danny, and he didn’t want to think what would happen when the guy’s cock would enter him. He was probably going to bleed. It wasn’t a nice thought to have right before it happened, because it frightened Danny. It suffocated him, kept him on edge.

Danny could hear the small huffs and moans the man released. Tears sprung to his eyes.

“Please, stop…” Danny pleaded.

“Aaaaargh, I’ve had enough. Shut up.”

Will closed his hand over Danny’s mouth again. Danny squirmed in earnest now. He didn’t hear the click in the bolt, or the door open. He was too lost in trying to block out the pain and the body on top of him as he was fighting to break free to notice there’s someone else in the room.

Danny closed his eyes tightly to prevent the tears that now ran freely down his cheeks.

The moment he felt the loss of the fingers inside him, and when the most frightening of all things didn’t come, Danny finally let himself to take in his surroundings.

With the pain and pressure gone, the fog lifted from his mind, and for the first time Danny could clearly see the man standing by the bed.

Danny gasped.

Because there, at the door, was Steve, staring at him.

…

**Earlier that night**

“Well hello there, McGarrett.”

Steve froze, his keys dropping on the ground. This could not be happening. That was the voice of someone he didn’t want to see. Ever again.

Victor Hesse.

“Long time no see, my friend.” Victor spoke again.

Steve finally turned around.

"You must be wondering what I am doing here... I will get straight to the point. Few months ago, I saw someone that drew my attention. It was this blond guy. Not that he is my type or anything, but he caught my eye. I followed him."

Victor paused and Steve felt the little hairs on the back of his neck stand out.

"Anyway, imagine my surprise when I see him entering in this very store. Hugging, and kissing-" Victor actually sounded disgusted. "- _you_."

Steve was still frozen in place, trying to make sense of what Victor was saying.

“You know what my first thought was? He’d make such a good fuck. Don't you think?"

Steve couldn't even bring himself to reply when thousand thoughts crossed his mind. Why was Victor telling him all this?

“He is none of your damn business, Victor.”

“Danny is very much my business, Steve.” Victor sneered.

“What the fuck do you want from me, Victor?”

“Nothing… Just saying… You remember what I told you once upon a time?”

And how could Steve forget that?

“You belong to me, Steve. You are mine!” Victor growled the words, each one said in thick Irish accent.

“I don’t belong to anyone, Hesse.”

"Tell me Steve... What would you say if you found your boyfriend being fucked by another person? He is a virgin, right? I never saw you two do more than make out-"

Victor didn’t have time to finish his sentence, because Steve finally found his ground and lunged at Victor. Steve had Victor by the neck in the split of the second, and he slammed Victor against the wall. One forearm was tightly constricting Victor’s windpipe until he was almost out cold.

Steve hissed in his ear. “Tell me why you are really here, and what do you want from me, because if you don’t I’ll hold my elbow to your throat until you lose your breath. _Permanently_.”

Steve was not sure where he managed to get the strength to hold Victor against the wall. It felt surreal. Victor sneered at him even with being choked within an inch of his life. Steve should’ve known better with Victor, the guy, never appeared making an empty threat.

“You know, Steve... some people are so easy to play with. Like you... Makes me wonder why you and that blond hit it off right away.”

“Shut up.” Steve gritted out and squeezed on Victor’s throat harder.

“Was it because of the way you were practically his knight in shining armor?” Victor coughed.

“Stop talking.”

“If you think you know him that well… then you wouldn’t mind me showing you something, would you?”

“You don’t know him!” Steve growled.

“Neither… do you.” Victor said in a choked voice and Steve released him then, because he couldn’t afford to make something stupid and actually kill the guy.

Victor reached in his pocket to take out what Steve presumed was his phone.

Steve couldn’t help but feel unsettled, because Victor was talking like he had something planned.

“Everyone that gets within an inch of you is my business, Steve.” Victor practically purred the words.

“Fuck you.”

Victor laughed as Steve’s nerves flared inside him.

“You know Steve; simple people are so easy to play with. It’s enough just to get them in the right mindset, and there’s nothing they wouldn’t do. Much like your boyfriend.” Victor chuckled darkly and tried to breathe properly. Coughed a couple of times before he cleared his throat. “People like that, they all come with a price.”

“What is it that you want from me Victor? You spin in circles and I don’t understand. I just don’t see the point of this conversation. I don’t see why…”

Victor thrust his phone in Steve’s hands then. Something was playing on the screen and with a clarity Steve didn’t think he possessed at the moment, he noticed that the video that was playing was of someone pleasuring Victor by the sounds that emanated.

But when the person that was pleasuring Victor moved, Steve could clearly see their face.

It was Danny.

Steve felt the earth move down from under his feet. _Danny and Victor_.

“How?”

“Like, I said… it doesn’t take a lot to convince someone to do things for a price.”

“Fuck you, what did you do to him?” Steve was aware he was desperate. But never for a moment had Steve thought that Danny would willingly give Victor Hesse a blowjob.

“I didn’t do anything to him. He went willingly. Thought you should know that.”

“I don’t believe you, Victor. Danny would never!”

“I have never lied to you, Steve. Remember that the next time someone talks to you and does not tell you what they did for just a little bit of money. Really, pathetic. You do not deserve to be touched by such a filthy creature that would do anything just to pay a debt that wasn’t even theirs in the first place. Just saying. Something could be happening in this very same moment.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Some people keep secrets even from the closest people in their lives. Wonder what excuse Danny used to leave his brother and two sisters with Emilia Petersen tonight?”

And with that Victor was gone, and Steve wondered just what the hell that was? Did Victor just threaten him and Danny?

Steve was shaken to his core and as he watched the creep disappear behind the corner, he finally let his guard down and slipped down the door of his own house. His head made a thump sound when he leaned back and tried to control his breathing.

Steve was on the border to hyperventilate, and he knew, he just had to get off of the ground, and somewhere safe. This was just not the time and place he thought he’d see Victor again. That man rattled Steve’s cage and got under his skin.

Why did the universe play such a cruel game with him?

Steve couldn’t get Victor’s smile and feral grin out of his mind as he finally picked up his keys and got inside his house.

Now, that the adrenaline and the enormity of the situation dawned on Steve, he could finally think with a clear head.

_Danny!_

Danny was in danger.

…

Danny wasn’t answering his calls.

There was a feeling of dread in Steve’s gut. Steve was scared.

Steve fired off a quick text to Danny.

But there was no response to his message either.

Steve rang Danny again. But Danny, that did not pick up. Which was not good. Not good at all.

Steve called twice more before leaving a frantic voicemail.

10, 15, 20… Steve watched as the minutes passed on the clock on the wall and still, there was no word from Danny.

Nothing.

Steve sighed in frustration. He called the company where he purchased the phone from.

“Hello, good evening, this is Steve McGarrett. I need to speak with someone about tracking my phone.”

There was a slight pause before Steve was connected to the person in charge.

_“Good evening, Mr. McGarrett. How may I help you?”_

“I need to locate my phone. I think my boyfriend has it, but I’m not sure. We have the same type of phone, so we easily take the wrong phone…” Steve needed to take a deep breath before he fell apart.

_“Have you tried calling your phone, Sir?”_

“Yes, I have, in fact. But I left it on silent, and I think my boyfriend hasn’t realized that he has it, yet.”

_“Are you sure it’s not stolen? You should report to the police, if that’s the case.”_

“It’s not stolen. Please, I need my phone and it’s urgent.”

Perhaps it was the tone of his voice. Or the frantic request. But the phone company emailed him information on how to locate his phone without having too much trouble.

Steve took his laptop and sat on the couch. All he had to do was to enter his personal data in the search engine of the phone company to get access to the GPS tracker on the phone once he was given access.

Steve sighed when the red blinking dot appeared on the screen. But the information he got for Danny’s location made Steve’s blood run cold.

The red blinking dot was not moving. And according to the info from the GPS, Danny’s phone was in a hotel.

In New York City.

…

There was no time for panic and shock, Steve realized. He could silently freak out once he had found Danny.

Steve transferred the information about Danny’s phone on his own and gunned the engine of the Silverado as fast as he could without drawing attention and getting pulled over. The last thing he wanted to do was to recreate a Fast and Furious chase in the middle of Newark, and police stopping him before he reached Danny.

His heart made a thump-thump-thump sound in his ears, sickeningly loud and excruciatingly painful to hear, because that sound meant what he felt wasn’t just something fleeting. He loved Danny. God, he loved that boy that wormed his way into his heart and stayed there.

He loved Danny, and Steve pleaded God to let Danny live, so he could say that to Danny.

Steve thanked whomever invented such detailed GPS tracking system, because he was able to get to follow the dot up to the hotel the phone was in.

Steve’s phone chimed in with a message once he arrived in front of the hotel.

**_“He is in room 502. Congratulations on discovering where he is.”_ **

Steve turned around multiple times, but he couldn’t see Victor. The fucker was there somewhere but Steve decided not to pay attention to him too much. There was no time for Victor’s games. Not while Danny was in danger.

When he entered the hotel, the desk clerk gave him the room key without any preamble. She said his presence was announced on the phone just now. Victor was definitely counting on Steve finding Danny in a compromising position.

Steve took the stairs two at a time in the rush to get to Danny faster.

Once Steve arrived in front of the room, he stopped for a second. He had no way of knowing if Danny was actually here, maybe someone stole his phone, or Victor set him up… But, Steve decided that Danny was worth it, for whatever reason it was that his phone was here.

Besides, with Hesse, every word should have been taken seriously.

Steve could hear loud grunting and moaning, and an occasional whimper and a hitch of breath. It was faint, but in Steve’s mind it sounded a lot like Danny.

Steve entered the key card in its slot and when he opened the door, he was met with the scene of a naked man on top of someone else.

That someone turned out to be Danny, indeed. Steve moved closer to the bed. Danny turned his head towards the sound.

Steve was sure that he wasn’t going to forget the look in Danny’s eyes and that it would haunt him for a long time.


	10. Unbreakable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Steve helps Danny recover after the rape attempt;  
> -The john that almost raped Danny is a cop - not his first time with a victim like this but this time there are witnesses;  
> -Victor confronts Steve and Danny. Steve pulls a gun to Victor (the gun he has for protection, because of the robberies);  
> -Danny and Steve talk about the situation;   
> -Danny tells Steve about what he did with Victor. Steve tells Danny that he knows;  
> -They discuss the video. Steve is not mad that Danny gave Victor a blowjob, he is only mad Victor used Danny;  
> -The experience gives Danny strength to finally ask for help in removing his siblings from the house. He asks Steve for help. Steve agrees;  
> -Few days bridge between what happened in the hotel and the attack in Danny’s house (in the next chapter).
> 
> Update: there are pictures added to chapter 9 as well.

Before the guy had time to recover, being caught in the act, Steve pounced on him and slammed him against the wall.

“Who are you?” the man croaked, but he was unable to utter another word, because of the hold Steve had on his throat.

“I’m his boyfriend.”

Steve released him, but not before he punched him a couple of times for good measure. He was surprised with himself at the amount of violence he exhibited tonight.

“What did you do to him, huh?”

“I didn’t do anything man. I just… I paid for his services. He was supposed to please me tonight. I was told he was a male hooker, man.” The man was holding his throat.

Steve’s blood boiled when he heard those words come out of that man’s mouth. And for a second there, he remembered Victor’s words that everyone had a price.

Why the hell did Danny do this? Having paid sex? And being male hooker?

Steve turned around and with the corner of his eye he noticed the glassy look in Danny’s eyes that followed his every move. The raw hurt in those eyes… Damn. There must have been something else in Victor’s story. Steve turned back to the man.

“What’s your name?”

“W-Will.”

“Will. How much did you pay for him?”

Will was shaking. Steve didn’t care.

“How. Much?”

“500.”

Steve almost whimpered. There was something in this story; Steve could feel it. Danny would not sell himself for 500 dollars. What did he do wrong for Danny to not come to him with whatever it was that drove him to this decision?

Steve was distracted enough that he didn’t notice Will gathering his things, until he was out the door.

Steve ran after him.

“Get back here, you son of a bitch!”

But Will was long gone.

“St-eve…”

Suddenly Steve’s focus was directed towards Danny. Will could wait.

…

Victor was waiting outside, assuming Steve would come down, crying or cursing up a storm, but then he noticed only Will running like a bat out of hell.

When he was outside and had calmed down a bit, Will called Victor. Victor grumbled that he’d be there soon. He let Will stew for 15 minutes before he parked his car in front of the hotel entrance.

“What happened?”

“There was a man. He just barged in. I was about to… you know, and he came into the room and beat me up. I barely managed to escape his fists. What the hell Victor?”

“This was not supposed to happen. He was supposed to see you fuck his boyfriend, get mad and leave.”

“You are not right in your mind! I had to invent a story about how much I paid for him. Do you know what will happen if someone finds out I’m a cop? There were no witnesses before, man.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“You better, Victor.”

“Have I done anything to warrant your doubts?”

“No.”

“Then?”

Just then the radio in Will’s car crackled to life, a call that came through dispatch that he was called in for work. Great, just what he needed tonight.

“This is not the last you’ll hear from me, Victor. You better get this thing sorted out.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll do everything in my power.”

Will left. Victor was seething. He settled in his car, waiting for Steve and Danny.

…

Steve carefully approached the bed where Danny was lying naked, and shivering. He picked up the sheet that somehow ended on the floor and covered Danny with it. Danny shrank in the sheet, and his small form became impossibly smaller as he curled in a fetal position and finally let the emotions flood.

Steve scooped him up, gently, and held him in his arms. He knew Danny was conflicted and that there was a very good reason why he did this. He’d wait for him. Danny would eventually tell him.

It took Danny half an hour to let it all out. His breath hitched every now and then when he tried to breathe normally. Steve was holding him and Danny felt safe.

Steve was finally here, he rescued him, and Danny was so embarrassed, he could feel the heat in his cheeks. Danny buried his face in Steve’s chest and let Steve’s scent calm him down. Also, it was a desperate attempt to hide from Steve.

“Danny… Talk to me, baby. Tell me, what did just happen? Why did you…”

Danny looked at Steve as if Steve would hit him, and Steve for one second saw that scared boy that he startled in the store all those months ago. He felt a pang in his chest, because there was still insecurity in those baby blues. Danny was still thinking that Steve would hit him, punish him, much like his father did most of the time.

“I’m not gonna hurt you, Danny. I’m not. I would never do that to you. I’m genuinely concerned, because I found you here, and that man was about to… Oh, God, what did you do? Why?”

“I… I needed to pay my father’s debt, and I didn't know what to do... I had no choice...”

“But, Danny…”

“I didn’t want to cause more trouble and make you think that I imposed my problems to you. Besides, it would have looked like I only want to be with you just for the money… And I need to get on my own two feet, Steve, I can’t depend on you. I can’t expect you to cover all my expenses and maintain me.”

“I don’t see you as a maintenance. Or a burden for that matter.”

“I’m sorry.”

“This is a relationship, Danny. Your problems are my problems, too. If you need me, for anything, you call and we talk about it. No matter what. Fuck the money and all that. I know you are not with me because of that. I don’t give a damn about those prejudices, and I don’t like you to do the same. Just because you are not in the shiniest financial state, and I am ridiculously rich, as you like to say it, it doesn’t have to be important in our relationship, Danny. Because I’d love you even if you were a homeless guy wandering the streets.”

Danny didn’t say anything. He was surprised by the gentleness with which Steve tended to him. Steve still held him. Steve was here. Steve didn’t leave him even after what Danny did.

“Would you believe me if I said that I love you, too?” Danny broke the silence. “I… All of this is new for me, the relationship, being loved and cared for, but I’m sure in what I feel. I’m not that experienced in relationships, but I’m sure of my feelings. It’s not something that will go away in a day or two or a month, Steve. It’s something that I tried to fight, and it didn’t work. Until I realized, that’s it. I love you. I’d understand if you don’t think I’m honest. I wouldn’t believe myself if I was you. I’m not saying this to-”

“Danny, breathe.” Steve stopped Danny’s rant and put his hand over Danny’s heart. The beating was irregular, but still there, and it gave Steve reassurance.

Danny was never easy in saying ‘I love you.’ Mainly, because he believed that you have to mean something to say it. And with ‘I love you’, you didn’t just throw it around, without feeling like you loved someone and you meant it. Also, it was a precious advice from his mother that he carried with him always. Steve knew that because Danny told him in confidence once.

“It’s okay, Danny. I love you, too.”

“Even after what I did?”

Steve smiled at Danny, even though he wanted to cry.

“Even after that. I love you.”

Danny launched himself at Steve with all he got, and Steve hugged him carefully, mentally cursing when he took a closer look to Danny and saw the bruises on his hips that peeked under the sheet. And felt Danny hiss when he touched his forearm.

“Motherfucker!”

Danny startled out of the quiet moment he and Steve shared and looked at the rage and anger darkening Steve’s eyes.

“What did he do to you, Danny? Just look at these…” Steve unintentionally brushed his fingers against Danny’s right hip and Danny shuddered.

“He… He didn’t do anything to me, Steve. You got here in time. Honestly, I don’t know what I was thinking… This guy, I know you’d freak out, but this guy, he came to the house and said that my father... My father owed him money. And that…” Danny’s breath hitched. “I could either do something for him or...”

_Or give him a blowjob and sleep with one of his clients_ , Danny couldn’t bring himself to say that out loud.

“When was this?”

“Two days ago.” Danny bit his lower lip and looked away.

“What was the name of the man?”

“Hesse. Victor Hesse.”

“Oh my God, he is truly back.”

“Who?”

“Victor.”

Danny stiffened in Steve’s arms.

“Victor’s last name is Hesse. Of course.” Danny chuckled darkly. “Oh, God your Victor is the same as mine. Fuck.”

“Seems so. I’m so sorry Danny.”

Danny blanched. Steve tightened the hold he had on Danny.

“That son of a bitch. How did I fall for it?”

“He has that ability to make you do things that you’d regret if you are not careful and fall for it.”

Danny raised his head and looked at Steve.

“Are you mad, Steve?”

“No, baby. I’m not.”

“Really?” Danny’s voice sounded so small and frail.

“Technically, I am mad. But at Victor, not at you. You were under duress, Danny. I would have much preferred you to come to me with your problem, but that’s done now. And I don’t want to keep a misplaced grudge.”

“I fucked up. We were going steady and I fucked up. I… Please, Steve, will you ever forgive me?”

“Nothing to forgive, Danny. I am just glad I came in time to prevent that asshole from…”

Danny burrowed into Steve’s arms and went silent.

“How much?” Steve broke the silence after a while.

“Huh?”

“How much money?”

“100 grand.”

“Damn.”

“How did you find me, Steve?” Danny sounded more lucid now.

“Victor. He told me. Actually he openly threatened you. Us. I called you and you didn’t answer. I tracked your phone. It’s not that I don’t trust you. But, I was worried.”

“I’m glad you tracked my phone.”

“No rant on behalf of me being impulsive?” Steve tried to joke, but it fell flat.

“Nope.”

“Hey, Danny? What do you say for us to get going, huh?”

“Where to, Steve? I have to go back to my siblings and take them from Miss Emily.”

“Call her and tell her that you’ll pick them in the morning. Just couple of hours, Danny. To calm down and freshen up. Then you can go and take them home with you. We’ll figure this out, baby. I promise.” Steve kissed Danny's temple and the blond smiled at the gesture.

“Okay.”

Steve helped Danny with his clothes, carefully avoiding to touch him on the places that were bruised. Steve could see that Danny was pretty much gathered after the initial outburst, but if he knew something about Danny, was that the calming demeanor usually meant a storm was raging inside him.

And Steve intended to be here for Danny when the dam finally broke and when Danny was ready to talk to him about everything that transpired tonight.

…

Victor sat, perched up on the hood of his own car with a laser-focus sight trained at the hotel entrance. Danny and Steve hadn’t left the hotel. They made him look like a fool in front of one of his most valued clients. Victor never left witnesses. He was going to make them pay. Both.

Victor didn’t have to wait long, as first Danny and then Steve got out of the hotel and in the general direction of the curb, where Steve had his truck parked. They were holding hands. And Steve leaned to kiss Danny gently on the lips.

Fucking disgusting. Victor was reeling.

“Good evening, McGarrett.”

…

Victor’s voice made Steve freeze his movements. That caused Danny to do the same. As realization dawned on Danny, he tried to make himself smaller against Steve. Victor smirked.

“I see you managed to get your boyfriend. Did you have fun, Danny? Did my guy treat you well?”

“I’m gonna kill you.” Steve hollered as he lunged at Victor, but Victor was prepared and countered the attack.

Holding Steve by his forearm, Victor looked at him with what could be identified as predatory look. Steve shuddered at the close proximity of that man to him and the firm touch he had on his arm.

“Once is luck. Twice is destiny. You really think that I would leave you to have a happy life with him, Steve? You really think I’d do that?” Victor whispered the words, so Danny couldn’t hear them. “Tell me, Danny, did he tell you about the fun we had together long time ago?”

Danny looked confused and like a lost puppy.

“Danny, don't… don’t listen to him.”

“More like the fun he had. I’m sure he didn’t tell you. Let me tell you then. He liked to fuck people. A lot. He would roam around the halls at school and would search for someone to advance to. He had a few slips with girls, but he liked boys more. Didn’t you Steve?” That feral grin was back and it made Steve want to throw up.

“You know, in terms of modern vocabulary; you can define that as being a slut. Really, a shameless flirt. He liked to seduce the boys. Does he still do the same, Danny? Tries to come as a helping hand, making you feel safe, maybe even charging into your life, without even you realizing you gave him consent? Make you feel safe and secure, far from prying eyes? Has he asked you to ride him already?”

Danny felt sick.

“You do realize that if you let him, you’d be his next victim, right?” Victor’s words echoed in the silence of the night, and all that Steve wanted to do was to shut Victor’s mouth, because he could not take the look in Danny’s eyes.

His Danny was confused, and he would give anything to prevent this from happening.

“That’s not true. Steve is not like that. I don’t believe you.” Danny’s voice was barely a whisper, but it sounded like a loud yell.

Victor laughed a bitter laugh behind him and snorted.

“Yeah, right. He is not who you think he is. Steve is-“

Victor didn’t get to finish the sentence because this time, Danny jumped on him. Victor was startled and had no time to react as Danny threw himself on top of Victor and together they fell on the ground. Danny practically tackled Victor. Steve stood there like in a trance.

“Fuck you, Hesse. Fuck you and your lies. I don’t fucking care whatever it is that you have to say about Steve. I believe him. You are a nightmare. And you are going to pay for what you did to us.”

Not for a moment, Danny yelled. His demeanor was calm, his eyes cold. It scared Steve for a bit because Danny was never like this.

“Danny, he is trying to trick you. Don’t let him get inside your head.”

“He picked the wrong guy.”

“Danny…”

Steve went to his truck and pulled something he’d never thought he’d use. Few months ago he bought a gun, around the time the robberies started hitting his neighborhood. Steve thought that having a gun for protection would put him at ease if he was faced with the robber. Violence was always the last resort, but after what happened tonight, Steve’s nerves were frayed.

Apparently it was the wrong thing to turn his back to Danny and Victor, because Victor had Danny pinned on the sidewalk and Danny was thrashing violently.

Steve aimed his gun at Victor.

‘Let him go, Victor!”

Victor stilled his movements when he saw the gun and laughed. That gave Danny leverage to crawl from under Victor. Steve helped Danny to his feet and shielded him, while still holding the gun.

“You are a coward. Definitely not going to pull the trigger.”

“You think so?”

“Not you McGarrett.”

“Which one is your car?”

“Steve… let’s go, please.” Danny pleaded with him, but Steve wouldn’t budge.

“Which one?”

Victor pointed towards an older model of Ford Taurus. Steve fired the gun once and shattered the windshield.

“Still think I won’t pull the trigger?”

“Steve. Let’s go.” Danny pleaded with Steve again.

“If you come after me or Danny again, I won’t shoot at your car. Am I clear?”

Victor looked like his feathers were ruffled because without a word he turned around, got in the car and drove off.

Steve moved on an autopilot, getting in his car, placing his gun in the glove compartment and starting the car.

“Steve?”

It was like Steve registered Danny on the passenger seat just now. He groaned.

“It’ll be okay, Danny.”

“Okay.”

Tonight was one clusterfuck of a night.

…

In the end it was Danny that called Miss Emily and explained the situation to her (without the gory details). She, as always agreed to keep an eye on Danny’s siblings. The woman was a saint. How many times did she save Danny from having to ask someone to look after his siblings? Danny thought it was about time he got her a gift or something else, as a thank you for always helping him.

It was always either his neighbor or him for his siblings. Their father was rarely at home as it was, and a blessed reprieve from being hit or yelled at. But the events in the last few days made Danny think. And he had to clear his head, but his mind was mostly made up about what he was going to do next.

Steve was currently in the shower. After the outburst in front of the hotel, they drove in silence. It was almost 2 a.m., but they weren’t tired enough to go to sleep. The enormity of the situation kept both on their toes.

The night was far from over.

Steve shuffled out of the shower, awkward silence hanging between them. Danny knew that eventually they’d have to talk it out. But, he wasn’t sure if they should wait or do it right now.

“You want something to drink?” Steve broke the silence, finally.

“Yeah. Cola, please.”

Steve nodded and puttered around in the kitchen. He returned to his room and brought snacks with their drinks.

For a while they concentrated on the chips and drank from their sodas, until Danny decided to address the elephant in the room.

‘When did you get the gun, Steve?”

Steve looked pensive, calculating his words.

“Before I met you. There were a series of robberies in the neighborhoods. I bought it for protection. I have a permit and everything. Not that I’d use it deliberately. Only in case of emergencies. I’m not reckless.”

“I didn’t say you were reckless, Steve. I was just wondering.”

“I’m sorry.” Steve sighed.

“For what?”

“That I reacted the way I did back at the hotel. I let Victor get under my skin. I was afraid that he’d managed to convince you that I was at fault. His cunning abilities are something to fear.”

“I understand what you mean.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Danny. I do. But, he… he is someone I thought and hoped you’d never meet.”

“I wish I haven’t. I wish I could go back to when I opened the door and he was there.”

Steve moved their drinks to the night stand before he embraced Danny.

“I’m so sorry all of this happened, Steve. I swear, I never meant to do what I did.”

“I know you didn’t.”

“There’s something I didn’t tell you.”

Steve straightened up so he looked Danny in the eyes.

“When Hesse came to the house and told me about the debt, he… um, he propositioned me. I accepted it.”

Steve knew where the talk was going, he had seen the video after all.

“I gave him a blowjob. He said the blowjob was only half of the debt. The rest would have to be a one night stand with one of his clients. I was desperate. I was angry. I don't know what I was thinking, but I did it. It makes me feel filthy, knowing I could have just asked you for money. But my stupid pride wouldn’t let me.”

Danny didn’t realize he was crying until Steve reached to wipe the tears off his cheek.

“I know. The bastard showed me a video.”

“He filmed- Oh, God, I’m gonna be sick.”

Danny didn’t get past the door of the bathroom when the bile reached his throat and he threw up on the bathroom floor tiles. He coughed and heaved until there wasn’t anything more to get out. Steve rubbed his back in a soothing manner, whispering quietly. Once Danny felt like he wouldn’t collapse, he got up and cleaned himself.

Steve helped him back to the bed and brought him a glass of water.

When Danny felt marginally better, he looked at Steve.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that alone, Danny. But, I promise you from now on, you are not alone. I won’t let anything happen to you. No one will stop me.”

“But, I ch-“

“If you say you cheated on me, Danny, I’ll be so mad. Victor Hesse used you. It was a vulnerable situation, and he knew how to talk to convince you. You are a victim.”

Danny pondered over Steve’s words. It seemed like the logical explanation of things. Besides, Steve was right. Victor used the situation of his father’s debt to get to him. And Danny fell for it.

“I love you, Steve.”

“Love you too, Danny. Never doubt that.”

Steve kissed him softly.

“Whatever it is, we can do it together. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Danny knew that it would take them a while to get back to normal. They still had to discuss what happened with Will and the potential of Victor going after them.

“Steve? Can I ask you something?”

“Yes, Danny.”

“I know I have no right to ask this from you, especially after tonight, but my father… I believe that he is getting more dangerous to be around my siblings. Lately, he’s been gone more and more, and I have a feeling like he is in some kind of trouble. I’m scared he is going to do something to them the longer he is like this.”

“Okay?”

“After what he did, gambling, and having a debt, to Victor Hesse, of all people… I don’t want him around my siblings anymore. I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Would you be up to take us in until we find a place of our own?”

Steve went silent for a moment, and Danny mistook it for a no.

“Sorry, forget I-“

“I’ll do it. I’ll help you, Danny. I wanted to suggest that a long time ago. In fact, I’m glad you asked. I don’t want you, or Matty, Stella and Bridget in that house anymore. You are always welcome here.”

“Thank you, Steve.”

“Don't mention it.”

Danny’s mind was settled for the moment. The only priority for the moment was his family. And with Steve by his side, he could do everything.


	11. I am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Victor is pissed off after the night turns out to be a fiasco. He calls Anton and asks him to edit the video;  
> -Eddie is drunk out of his gills when Victor approaches him;  
> -Victor shows the video to Eddie and convinces him that Danny has a boyfriend and that said boyfriend is on the video - Danny sucking his boyfriend’s dick;  
> -Eddie goes home and takes the kids with him;  
> -Danny and Steve decide they are not going to wait to get his siblings in safety;  
> -When Danny goes to Miss Emily’s place to retrieve his siblings, she tells him that his father picked them up and said that Danny would stay with his boyfriend;   
> -Danny contacts Steve - Steve heads there and he still has the gun that he bought for protection with him;  
> -Eddie attacks Danny - Steve arrives in time before Eddie chokes Danny. Danny takes the gun and points it at Eddie;  
> -Steve calms Danny enough so Danny doesn’t shoot his dad.  
> Notes:  
> -TW for Victor using a homophobic slur;

Victor was beyond pissed off. He was raging. This night was all, but what he had planned. Things got out of control very quickly, and he had no fucking way of making them go in his favor again. He tried all he could.

He tried to fool Danny. He tried to turn him against Steve. But it was useless. Danny went back to Steve willingly. Things were spiraling out of control and fast.

Victor didn’t have a contingency plan. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his brain and the grin was back to his face.

…

In Newark, Anton Hesse grumbled as he was woken up by his phone ringing.

“Good morning, brother.”

“For your information, Victor, there are people that go to bed at actually normal hours.”

“Grumble all you want, but I need your help.”

“When don’t you need my help?”

“Har-har, Anton. It’s serious.”

“What do you need?”

“The video of Daniel Williams. I need you to edit the frames, so my face is not shown. Then send it to my phone.”

“When do you need it?”

“Yesterday.”

…

A couple of hours later, Victor had the video, ready. It was close to 2 a.m. and it wasn’t tough to find Eddie Williams. After all, the man was a creature of habit and frequented the same bar on his nights of drinking. Victor was wondering how the guy was able to hold a job with his alcohol problems. But Eddie wasn’t Victor’s problem. He was merely means to an end.

_Get Danny Williams out of Steve’s life._

Half an hour later, a very drunk Eddie Williams was met with the sight of one very calm and sharp as a knife’s edge, Victor Hesse.

Hesse didn’t need to introduce himself.

By the time he mentioned Danny’s name, it had been clear to Victor that Eddie was all but interested in what his son was doing at the moment. Victor wondered what would happen if he tracked Danny down and fucked his brains out and left him for dead. If his father would even shed a tear at his son’s funeral.

Deciding to play his best card, Victor switched the conversation in the direction he wanted to. He chose each word carefully, engaging Eddie in the conversation.

“So, Eddie… Long time no see.”

“I don’t have your money.” The man grumbled as he downed another shot of vodka.

“I know. I’m not here about the money. In fact, it wasn’t about the money at all, Edward.”

“What do you want, Victor?”

“I was wondering… Do you know where your kids are right now?”

“No.”

“And do you care?”

“They are okay.”

“How do you know that?”

“And how do you know I want you to continue talking, before I decide to break all your teeth?”

The look in Eddie’s eyes told Victor that he’d do just that.

“Because I have a .45 in the right pocket of my jacket.”

Eddie gulped.

“What is that about my kids? What’s your concern all of a sudden?”

“Well, for starters I know that your son, Daniel, is not with the rest of your kids.”

“That woman across the street takes care of them when Danny can’t. He probably has a good reason.” Eddie said, sure of himself.

“Well, Danny has been having fun with his boyfriend all night, and your kids are left with that woman…” Victor made a show of looking at his watch. “For more than 6 hours now.”

“What the hell are you talking about?!” Eddie raised his voice a little as he turned around and faced Victor. “How do you know that about them?”

“If you were paying attention to what your son was doing in the last months, you would’ve seen that his current boss is also his boyfriend. Your son is a fag, Eddie. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that.”

“Shut the fuck up. My son is not… _that_.”

“I have a proof.”

Victor played the video on his phone. He could see how Eddie changed colors seeing his son giving a blowjob to his boyfriend (Victor had to commend Anton, his brother did a good job).

“This is my favorite part.” Victor said, with a smirk on his face.

On the video, Danny forcibly swallowed, and Victor patted him on the cheek, telling him _“Wasn’t so bad, was it?”_ and because he was feeling friendly he cleaned Danny’s face afterwards. Of course, Eddie didn’t know it was Victor on the video.

It was so easy to manipulate this man the way Victor wanted.

“What the fuck is this?”

Victor smirked. This was going better than expected.

“This is your boy, who you think is taking care of your other kids, sucking his boyfriend’s dick and well we all know what follows after a little foreplay, don’t we?”

Eddie looked at Victor like he was looking at an alien and then he suddenly took his half drank glass and threw it on the wall behind the bartender, missing him by an inch. The bartender stared at Eddie and then at Victor that tipped his head in understanding and grabbed Eddie by the elbow.

“Come on, enough alcohol for you tonight, I’ll call you a cab.”

“I’m big enough to call a cab myself, boy.”

“C’mon, Eddie. Listen to the bartender. In fact, I suggest you to get sober and have a shower. Then in the morning, get your kids back.”

“Okay.”

…

Eddie entered in the cab that Victor flagged and left without a goodbye.

Victor was grinning, knowing the seeds were planted and that the day in front of them will bring something good.

…

Danny and Steve woke up around 8 a.m. It wasn’t enough sleep, but they had to act quickly. They were aware that Victor could attack at any moment, and they wanted to be prepared.

Around 9 a.m. Danny went back to his house. But first he made a stop to Miss Emily’s house and rang the bell.

“Morning, Danny.” She greeted him without his usual cheer. “How are you doing today?”

“I’m good, Miss Emily. Thank you for asking. I came here to pick up my devils. I’m so sorry, but I had this important thing I had to-“ Danny stopped mid talk because he noticed that there was no one in the house behind her. “Where are they?”

“Your father picked them up around four in the morning. Told me you have called and said you’d stay late with your boyfriend. Woke them up and insisted for them to go home.”

“My… my boyfriend? Are you sure he said that?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my God.”

Danny almost collapsed on the threshold. His boyfriend… How the hell his father knew he was with Steve last night? And that they were in a relationship?

He was so screwed.

“What is it, Danny? Weren’t you with your boyfriend?”

“I was, but… He doesn’t know that I have a boyfriend. My father doesn’t know.”

“What did I do? I let him get them. I should have-“

“There was nothing you could have done, Miss Emily. I better go and see what’s going on.”

“Please be careful, Danny.”

“I will. Thank you. Bye.”

Danny frantically searched for his phone and called Steve. Steve picked up on the first ring.

“Hey, Danny, did you get them?”

“My father has them! He picked them up from Miss Emily’s place. He knows. I can’t let him hurt them. I’m going in.”

“Wait, wait, Danny. What does he know?”

“He knows we are together. Or at least that I have a boyfriend.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m coming over. Wait for me.”

“No, I have to go.”

Danny ended the call.

Mind made up, Danny stopped in front of his house. Inside were his siblings. His brother and two sisters were there in that house, and he promised to his mother that he’ll take care of them. He was going to get them no matter what waited for him behind the front door.

Gathering the courage to cross the last few steps that separated him from the house, his legs full of lead refusing to move forward, Danny decided this was as good a time as any to put an end of everything. He’d get his siblings, and then...

Gulping audibly he twisted the handle of the door that opened with a squeak. But, Danny didn’t have to worry if his father would be alerted by the sound, because it seemed like his father was waiting for him in the living room.

“Good of you to finally appear son.”

“Dad…” Danny stammered as he noticed the hostility coming off in waves from his father.

“Good morning, Daniel. What, cat ate your tongue?”

His father’s voice meant trouble, and Danny knew that.

“Dad, please…”

“Where have you been?”

“I had a thing I had to take care of.”

“Yeah? Did that thing involve having sex with your boyfriend?”

“What are you talking about?”

“What I’m talking about is that I know you have a boyfriend, you little slut.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Eddie yelled and Danny cringed as the first slap descended on his cheek. “Don’t you dare lie to me, because next time the slap will be the least of your problems.”

“Yeah?” Danny said defiantly, facing his father, challenging look in his eyes. “And what will my problems be then?”

“Your siblings to start. You came here for them, right?”

“Where are they?”

“They are upstairs. But don’t worry, I didn’t do anything to them. I was waiting for you.”

“Oh, yeah? To do what? Ambush me in my own home and beat me like you always do?”

“You shut your filthy mouth right now! You don’t have any right to tell me what I’m going to do to you. Not after you had dick in it!”

Danny blanched. It couldn’t be. Steve told him about the video Victor showed to him, but his father couldn’t have…

“Don’t act surprised. I saw what you did, and what a little bitch you are for your boyfriend. Personally, I have nothing against you having a boyfriend, but I am pissed off you didn’t tell me about it.”

“Like you deserve to know what happens with me!”

His father backhanded Danny hard. Danny fell on the floor and before he knew it, his hand was bleeding. Danny barely registered it was shattered pieces from his mom’s favorite vase before Danny was picked up off the floor.

Eddie unceremoniously shoved Danny in the bathroom where he forcefully cleaned Danny’s right palm and wrapped it in a clean towel.

Then they returned to the living room like nothing happened.

“Wow, you seem like such a caring father. I never thought I’d witness the moment when you actually take care of me.”

“You are a sarcastic little shit; you know that? The only reason why I did that is that I don’t want you to bleed out. Not until we discuss your boyfriend.”

“There is nothing to discuss, dad. Nothing. You don’t own me anymore. If you think for any minute that I’d let, you run my life, after all I’ve been through with you, then let me tell you, you live in a big, fat lie.”

“Don’t you dare raise your voice to your own father, Daniel!”

Something inside Danny snapped.

“You lost the right to be my father the day you raised your hand on your own kids. A father would not do this to his son. He would not beat him every chance he gets, because he gets off on that. He would love his children. I never, ever felt love coming from you. What if I have a boyfriend, huh? What do you care? You never cared for me or for your kids that are upstairs, too afraid of you to even be around in the same room with you, when you are in the house.”

Eddie lost his temper and slapped Danny again, and again, until Danny toppled over the couch and fell on the floor. Eddie kicked him with his foot right in the stomach, preventing Danny from getting off the floor.

Danny’s remark was cut off with Eddie’s foot connecting with Danny’s chest next, and he heaved a precious breath of air, trying not to blackout from the lack of oxygen.

“Enough talking. You don’t get to talk!”

“Who says that?” Danny tried to breathe normally, but the pressure on his chest was too much.

“I do.”

Another sharp kick to his guts and tears of frustration sprang out of Danny’s eyes. He hated crying in front of his father, but he couldn’t help the reaction.

“You have no idea how pathetic you are, Daniel.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“You know one thing, Danny. You look so much like your mother, it’s unbelievable. You are the same weak shit like she was, like you were tailored from the same material. You have her looks, her attitude, it’s fucking disgusting. I’m not even sure you are mine. Someone like you could not be my son.”

“Please, stop…”

“Whiny, pathetic little brat. Good for nothing. You do not deserve to be loved, Daniel. You are destined to be alone for as long as you live. Even your boyfriend will leave you eventually. He’ll get tired of the person you are. Everyone does. Just give them a little time, and they’ll grow to hate you.

“You shouldn’t have been born. Gave me more trouble than what I bargained for. I wasn’t hard enough on you, ‘cause you are still soft and whiny. Maybe you should let your boyfriend end you. Look at yourself!”

Eddie continued to kick Danny, punctuating his every word.

Suddenly the door opened and Steve entered the room.

…

Steve arrived in front of Danny’s house faster than he deemed for using the above average speed. But the situation warranted that. Luckily his house wasn’t far.

Steve could hear voices coming from behind the door. Loud voices. One that was dangerously vulnerable and belonged to Danny and the other, older and gruffer, which Steve realized it was probably Danny’s father.

And he was yelling.

Shit, shit, shit.

That’s when Steve opened the door and was met with the sight of Danny’s father kicking him on the floor.

“Stop, right now!” Steve yelled.

“And if I don’t? You gonna do anything about it?”

“You bet your ass I will.”

“You won’t if his pathetic life is threatened.”

To prove his point, Eddie put his hand around Danny’s throat and lifted him off of the floor. Danny was bloody, teary eyed, and looking worse for wear, but there was still fight in him.

Steve saw red. Because that man was strangling Danny. Eddie was shaking him like a puppy. Something inside Steve broke at that sight.

“Let him go. Right now.” Steve didn’t know where he found the courage to sound so authoritative while he was shaking on the inside.

But Eddie wouldn’t budge. If anything he strengthened the hold he had on his son’s neck. “What makes you think I’m gonna let him go?”

“Because he is your son?” Steve inquired. “Because you are hurting your own son, dammit!”

“This little loser here?” Eddie snorted. “I’m not sure he is my son. Not after daring to talk up to his father.” Eddie purposefully looked at Steve, like he was daring him to try out something. “You the boyfriend?”

“What if I am?”

“Nothing. You just came to my house, served on a silver platter. We are gonna have words.”

Eddie released Danny and ploughed forward. In Steve’s direction.

Danny fell on the floor in a heap and heaved, trying to breathe. He could hear the sounds of a tussle, but his head felt heavy and he couldn’t lift himself off the floor to see what was going on. But before he gave in to the welcoming darkness, Steve’s voice cut through the thick veil of fog that was wrapped around his head.

“Danny!”

Danny gathered the last of his strength and looked in the most beautiful eyes he saw in his life, just like that first day he met Steve.

“Get your siblings, Danny. Get them and get the hell out of here!”

Danny carefully scrambled on his feet and dashed upstairs, not looking back. He found Matthew, Stella and Bridget huddled close on what used to be their parents’ bedroom.

“Come on, guys, let’s get out of here.”

“Where are we going, Danno?” Bridget asked as Danny took her by her tiny arm and dragged her out of the room.

“As far away from here.” Was Danny’s clipped answer.

“Danno…” She drawled, but one stern look from her brother got her to stop talking.

They descended the stairs and Danny actually stopped for a second to cast a fast look to what unfolded in the living room.

Steve was landing blow after blow on Danny’s father, trying to dodge Eddie’s hits that were badly aimed. Danny was torn between helping Steve and getting his siblings out. Steve’s voice in his head helped him in his decision.

“Come on.” He took Bridget in his arms, tucking her head under his neck so she would not see the ugly picture in front of them, with Matthew and Stella hot on his heels, Danny managed to get them all out of the house.

He took a deep breath, but it got stuck in his lungs. Bridget’s weight didn’t help his already battered body, and he had to get her on the ground, so he could take a proper breath, once outside.

It smelled of smoke, and spring, Danny realized.

“Aren’t you gonna help Stevie?”

Bridget was close to crying, Danny could feel it. There was matching looks on Matthew’s and Stella’s faces.

“I need to get you to safety.” Danny wiped his own tears as he reluctantly walked away from the house.

“I can take them to Miss Emily’s house.” Stella spoke up. “You go back and get Steve out.”

“Please, Danno.” Bridget pleaded with him.

“We’ll be okay, Danny.” Matty spoke up, too. “Don’t worry.”

It was with a heavy heart that Danny let his siblings go, but they were right. They were out of the house now.

He gently hugged his siblings, breathing in their scents, and trying not to think of what could happen, once he got back to the house. They were right, Steve was inside. He needed Danny’s help.

Danny needed to go back and save Steve.

“I love you guys.”

His mind made up he turned around facing his siblings for one last time.

…

Danny hurried back, but not before he stopped in front of the Silverado. He prayed that Steve didn’t take his gun from the glove compartment.

Sure enough, the gun was still there. Danny took it. It felt weird in his arms, but he knew that if he wanted his father to leave him and his siblings in peace…

Danny didn’t want to think about using the gun, but it was his last resort.

He had to go back inside, and get Steve out. But first he had to will his tears to go away. He took the gun with trembling hands and went back to the house. He didn’t realize his palm was bleeding.

What Danny saw made bile rise in his throat and he yelled in rage, as Eddie raised his head to see his son coming at him. Eddie was on top of Steve with his hands on Steve’s neck, mirroring his position from earlier.

“Get off of him, now.”

Danny’s voice was quiet, but it was enough to have his father’s attention.

In all his life he didn’t see his father more scared.

…

“What the hell are you doing, Daniel? Put that thing down before you shoot me.”

“What makes you think that I won’t shoot you?”

“Danny, don’t do this.” Steve was equally scared, still sat on the floor.

Steve, still sitting on the floor, raised his hand towards Danny. “C’mon buddy, come on, lower the gun. C’mon Danny, you don’t want to do that. Please, buddy.”

Danny was trembling so hard he could barely keep the gun steady and upright. Steve noticed his right hand wrapped with a white cloth that was turning red. Danny was bleeding.

His eyes were full of tears.

Steve spoke to Danny in gentle voice.

“This is not who you are, Danny. You are not him. Put the gun down. Don’t stoop to his level. Just because he is a bully, you don’t have to pull the trigger. He doesn’t deserve it, Danny.”

Steve could see the exact moment his words got through Danny. Danny blinked, slowly, focusing on Steve. He let the gun fall down. Steve knew it was still secured but waited with bated breath. Thankfully, the gun didn’t go off.

Slowly, Steve got off the floor and moved to take the gun.

Steve aimed the gun at Danny’s father.

”Danny, give me the phone.”

Danny, thankfully, heard Steve. He gave Steve the phone, and then hid behind Steve, holding on to him tight. Steve called 911 to report the situation. He got an answer that the dispatcher would send a car soon.

“Loser. Pathetic loser. He couldn’t even pull the trigger." Danny’s father was seemingly still on a roll.

“I only see one loser here. You failed your wife and each of your kids.” Steve replied. “Don’t be so sure I won’t pull the trigger, Eddie.”

Eddie stopped talking after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene with the gun and the picture that inspired it were born by a late night talk with Lunedd. I'm so proud that it's one of the scenes that got out in written exactly as I imagined it.


	12. The Devil is in the details

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Eddie broke Danny’s mom’s favorite vase;  
> -Danny freaks out over the mess and tries to clean up. Steve calms him down. He can hear Eddie in his head “clean your mess”;  
> -Eddie is arrested;  
> -Detectives Tani Rey and Junior Reigns get called on the scene;  
> -Lou Grover as their Captain;  
> -Tani and Junior talk with Steve and Danny;  
> -The john’s identity is revealed to be Frank Delano.

Steve carefully put the gun away, certain that Eddie Williams wasn’t going anywhere. Danny was still out of it, frantic, yelling something about the broken vase, how he needed to clean the place, because it was a mess and it was his mess…

Steve didn’t know what to do with him. He knew that Danny had serious issues with his father, but this time, Steve wasn’t sure that he would be able to get through Danny.

All the while Eddie Williams smirked as he watched his son on the verge of breaking down, in his own home, having to clean a mess he didn’t create, and all because his father told him that those that didn’t clean their messes deserved punishment. Steve wished to pick up the gun and… do what, he wasn’t sure. But he didn’t want to look at Danny and how desperate his boyfriend seemed at the time.

Finally, after Steve gently whispering to Danny, trying to convince him it was okay, and that they were safe, Danny broke down in his embrace. Danny was clinging to Steve like he was a lifeline and in that moment, Steve thought perhaps he was.

Steve held Danny tight in his arms, but he was careful not to press too hard. At first he thought he imagined it, but then he realized it wasn’t his mind making up words, but it was indeed Danny and whispered “Thank you, thank you, thank you” all over again.

Steve fought back tears because this was something he didn’t want Eddie to gloat over, but silently he was thankful that Danny didn’t kick him out and that he actually asked for help.

Steve knew in that moment that he would never let Danny go, no matter what. He promised to himself that he would take care of Danny for the rest of his life.

…

The police car arrived 20 minutes later. Eddie was sitting on the couch, Steve’s gun still pointed at him after he tried to escape while Danny had his moment with Steve. Danny sat close to Steve on the opposite end of the couch, curled into his embrace, still coming down from the meltdown. Steve held Danny’s hand in his, offering as much comfort as he could.

Steve lowered his weapon when the police arrived and explained everything to the cops. Danny could only nod, not being able to say anything for the moment. Because of the severity of the situation, they decided to call the detectives from the special victims unit. The police officers said that detectives Tani Rey and Junior Reigns were the best in their field and that they’d offer them more information.

Steve was grateful because there wasn’t a lot of poking and prodding from the cops, but knew that they needed to gather their bearings before the detectives arrived on the scene. There would be questions some that only Steve and Danny could answer.

Eddie was arrested, thankfully.

It hit Steve immediately, the sudden noise of people moving in and out of the house, taking pictures, gathering evidence. Steve had to give up his gun until the police confirmed it was his. He helpfully provided them with the location of the documents of his possession and permit to carry firearms. They were checked out by the paramedics. By the time the detectives brought them to the precinct to talk about what happened, Steve texted Emily that someone from the police and CPS will be on its way to talk to the kids.

.…

“Sorry for the wait. Danny, Steve, we can proceed with the interview.” Detective Tani Rey spoke to the men currently sat on the couch in one of the more comfortable interview rooms. They were specifically created to make victims feel comfortable.

“I was completing the paperwork for the arrest. Would you be comfortable to talk with me, or you want me to call my partner, too?”

“Whatever you think it will work out.” Steve spoke from where he was sat with Danny next to him, a comforting hand on Danny’s shoulder.

Tani pulled out her notepad and pen, ready to take notes. She motioned for Junior to get inside. He brought 4 steaming cups with him.

“Hello, my name is Junior Reigns, and I’m Tani’s partner. I didn’t know if you’d prefer coffee or tea so I settled for hot chocolate.”

That got Danny to smile. Steve smiled to himself too. Tani looked at him questioningly.

“He has a sweet tooth.” Steve blurted.

“Hey, that’s supposed to be a secret.” Danny piped in.

“Anyone that gets to know you, Danny, they know you have a sweet tooth. Believe me.”

“Okay, if you insist.”

Tani noticed the change in Danny immediately. Definitely a good call to get Steve and Danny situated in this room. Earlier, when they were in the regular interrogation room, Tani noticed that Danny was fidgety and nervous. He looked uncomfortable. Then she got the idea.

Captain Grover ordered changes in the precinct the year before. He fought tooth and nail with the Governor Denning to give them funding. When Grover finally succeeded, things turned out pretty well. Captain Grover learned on a seminar he visited on criminology and forensics that people felt better when they weren’t questioned in a classical interrogation room. It was real important to discern the difference between a suspect and a victim and someone that wasn’t a person of interest. More often than not they used these rooms.

Grover made a good decision that proved to be useful.

Tani was grateful for it in moments like these.

“Can you recount me what happened today at the Williams’ household?”

She carefully observed the look the two exchanged before Danny took a deep breath. Steve’s hand moved from his shoulder to his thigh to squeeze in comfort.

“I spent the night with my boyfriend… er, Steve. My brother and sisters were with my neighbor; she usually takes care of them when I can’t.” Danny was the one who started to talk first.

“Okay. Do you spend time with Steve often that you require the services of your neighbor?”

“I don’t pay her for her ‘services’ as you say. She does this because she and my mom were close and she loves us as much as her own kids. I trust her.” Danny said defiantly.

“I’m sorry Danny. Didn’t mean to imply anything.” Tani abandoned taking notes for the moment in favor of observing the behavior of the two. Junior was silent next to her.

“It’s okay. And to answer your question, almost every day for the last three years. She helped me out while I was still in high school. Our father… is not actually present in our lives that much. And when he is, things like today happen.”

Danny spoke about his father with such venom that Tani had to look at Junior.

“How long has he abused you and your siblings?”

“Close to three years. It started after my mom’s death.”

“Has he escalated before with his beatings like today?”

“A few times, yeah. But usually he gets tired easily and stops early on.”

Tani sighed before she left her notepad on the table.

“I’m sorry, I know this is a personal question, but has the abuse always been physical and verbal or has it been sexual, too?”

She could see Danny squirm and Steve show his support, too.

“No. The only thing he knew how to do was spit words and use his fists.”

“I’m so glad you have him arrested.” Steve suddenly spoke. “He’s done so much to Danny and those kids… instead of having a normal childhood and lives, they feared him for so long…”

“Babe, it’s okay. He is locked up now, he won’t hurt them. Or me.”

Tani had to wipe a lone tear at the encounter. It was always tough to talk with victims of abuse.

“So, you stayed with Mr. McGarrett, uh, sorry, Steve. All of last night?” Junior thankfully took over, noticing Tani had an emotional moment.

“Yes. Initially, I wasn’t gonna stay but something came up and I had to. Called Miss Emily around 2 a.m. You can check the call logs.”

“We will. You went to your neighbor’s house around 9 a.m. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“What happened then?”

“I rang the bell and she opened the door. I told her I was there to pick up my siblings. She looked scared. She told me my father came to her house. And by the looks of it, he was pissed.”

“Did he have a reason to be?”

“I assume it was because he learned I have a boyfriend? You never know with my father.”

There was something sour in Danny’s voice, and Junior gave them a little break before they continued the interview.

“After that, did you go directly to your house?” Junior asked.

“No, I called Steve first and told him about the situation.”

“What happened when you entered your house, Danny?” Tani continued.

“He was definitely waiting for me. I don’t remember much of the interaction, but I remember he had broken something, there were shards on the floor. I think it was my mom’s favorite vase. He hit me and I fell. That’s how I got this.” Danny waved his right palm that was now properly bandaged. “He insulted me. Then at one point he hit me again, and I don’t remember what actually happened but when Steve came and pulled him off of me… he was squeezing so hard.”

Danny put his hands around his neck to mimic what his father did. Junior recoiled at the red angry marks on the boy’s neck.

“If I didn’t get him off of Danny, I was scared Eddie was going to kill him.” Steve said then, the hand on Danny’s thigh tightening its hold.

“What happened after you came to the house.”

“I yelled for Danny to get his siblings out of the house. He got them out, but then he came back. I just wanted them to be safe. For Danny to be safe.”

The wounded look in Steve’s eyes made Junior want to hug them both. These two have been through hell itself, and there were two detectives prying like it was everybody’s business what happened. Regardless they had to move on.

“They… wanted me to go back for Steve.” Danny started to tremble next to Steve on the couch.

“They wanted you to come after me?”

“Yes. Bridget wanted me to save her Stevie. Stella offered to take them to Miss Emily.”

“Then you went back to the house and pointed a gun to your own father.” Tani stated this matter-of-fact, in a flat tone, without judgment.

“Yes. The gun is Steve’s.”

“We ran the information Steve gave us. It all checks out. Your gun will be returned to you, Steve.”

“Thank you. I bought it for protection when robberies started happening in the neighborhood. I was scared. I don’t usually carry it around, but somehow I’m glad I had it with me.”

“Certainly you weren’t hoping to use it?” Junior raised an eyebrow.

“No, I’m not one of those that are trigger happy. But seemed like a good thing to make Eddie Williams stop throwing blows around. Seems like even he was scared by someone else pulling the trigger.”

Tani nodded. They looked at each other with Junior.

Before they asked any more questions, there was one of their colleagues entering the room to bring them information on the case. They were trying to track down family of the Williams’. The CPS talked to Danny’s siblings already, and Tani and Junior were trying to find the best possible outcome for all of them to go home together soon. There was an uncle from Danny’s mother’s side, Vittorio Rossi, but Tani didn’t want to give Danny false hope, so for the moment they were checking out every possible lead.

It didn’t look like Delano noticed them, because he gave Junior the information and left the room.

But, Tani could see the reactions of Danny and Steve. She wasn’t prepared to see Danny pale like he saw a ghost and the anger on Steve’s face when Officer Frank Delano entered the room.

“What’s wrong? Steve? Danny?”

“Steve, he is a cop.” Danny sounded suspiciously like he was close to throwing up, and Tani picked up a waste basket in case Danny really got sick.

“Who is a cop? Do you know our colleague?” Junior asked.

“It makes sense now.” Steve mused.

…

Steve noticed that they were being stared at by the two detectives. He knew they didn’t make any sense. It wasn’t his story to tell, it was Danny’s decision if he wanted to tell them about the events that transpired only last night.

“Danny, we have to tell them.”

Danny just nodded, his hands shaking.

“Tell us what?” Junior inquired, softly. He noticed the change in the air, and he threaded carefully.

“It all started three days ago when Victor Hesse came to the house, asking for money my father owed him.” Danny started.

In the course of the next hour and a half Danny and Steve recounted the story of how Hesse played them both and how Danny almost got raped by the john Victor arranged. They told him he said his name was Will, and knowing the guy worked in law enforcement now was making things clearer, why would he use a fake name.

Steve told them the story about Victor Hesse and what their suspicions were on the whole thing. For the first time, someone listened, that wasn’t family and they didn’t judge them or try to play it off, like they were making everything up.

After Tani and Junior listened to what they had to say they left the room.

“Oh my God, what did I get myself into, Steve?” Danny spoke into the quiet, playing with a thread on his hoodie. He looked worse for wear, with bags under his eyes and a tiredness someone with his age should not experience.

_More like weariness_ , Steve mused.

“Both of us, Danny. I’m with you in this. And it’s not your fault.”

“I know what you are going to say, Steve, but yes, it is my fault. If I just…”

“If you just what, Danny? This was Victor’s plan all along. Even if you asked me for money, he would’ve found a way to have an advantage over you. Don’t you see it, Danny? He wanted to separate us. In his sick, twisted sense, he wanted me only for himself. He doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process, Danny. For him you, this cop, your father, everyone is collateral damage.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You shouldn’t be. You were scared. You made a bad decision. Luckily, nothing serious happened.”

“Yeah. I love you, Steve. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, Danny.”

“You think they’ll catch him?”

“Who? The man from the hotel?”

“No. Hesse.”

“I hope they do.”

“There so much damage…”

“We’ll get through it, Danny. Together. You see, now the detectives will help us.”

“I’m worried.”

“Why?”

“About my siblings. With CPS involved and everything else going downhill. They are all minors, Steve. I’m all they have. And they won’t let them stay with me.”

“They will.”

“How are you so sure, Steve? I’m-“

“You are 18 years old, 19 in a few months. You took care of them when no one else did. You provided for them. You have a steady job, Danny, and I’m sure Emily will tell them the same. You have to give yourself more credit.”

“But what if… what if they take them from me? I can’t take it if they give them to a foster family when they have me.”

“Danny, breathe baby.” Steve hugged Danny close to him, willing his heartbeat to go down.

Danny was upset and with right. Steve was aware how fucked up things were. But he believed that together they could fight everything.

Detective Tani Rey came back to the room then, carrying papers. Her face was hard and relentless.

“This is a written statement of all that you told me. I want you to read it and if everything is correct, to sign it.”

Steve was sure there was something that Tani wasn’t telling them, but took the papers and carefully started reading.

After signing their statements, Tani signed them, too, putting them in a folder. Then she left the folder on the table and took a set of pictures.

“You must know that we take everything seriously. We don’t take lightly to accusations to our own.” She could see that Danny was squirming, so she continued talking. “But, we investigate everything that’s suspicious and frankly, the man you saw earlier, he is on our Captain’s radar for quite a while. We want to be sure before we take action, so I’d ask you to look at the pictures of some of our colleagues and tell me if you recognize anyone.”

…

Danny picked up the pictures from Tani’s hand and sifted through them. There were familiar faces from this morning, and some he didn’t recognize, but when he got to the photograph of the man both he and Steve recognized as Victor’s client, Danny started shaking.

It was still fresh. His failure. His mistakes.

And now he was in a police station, identifying the man that almost raped him…

He wasn’t aware that he was crying until he felt Steve’s arms around him.

Steve. Always there for him. He didn’t have to help to a pathetic person like Danny, but no matter what had happened, Steve stuck and made itself at home in Danny’s heart and in his life.

“Danny? Do you need to take a break?” Tani’s gentle voice brought Danny back.

“No. I… This is the man that…”

Danny gestured to the picture he held in his hand. Same man that tried to rape him in the hotel when Danny didn’t want to have sex with him willingly. Same man that entered the room earlier.

“This is Will.”

“Are you sure?”

“100 percent positive.”

“I’m sorry to inform you, but his name is not Will. His name is detective Franklin Delano.”


	13. Never a dull moment in the Newark Police Department

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Lou Grover talks to Frank Delano;  
> -Both Eddie and the john give Victor’s name to the cops;  
> -More on the john and his collaboration with Victor:  
> *VIctor supplied him with hookups - Victor’s employees ended up dead after every encounter;  
>  *Victor performed the murders under the orders from the john;  
>  *In exchange the john kept the police away from Victor (a connection with NYPD);  
> *The john’s preferences are young boys, virgins - mostly it ended with him forcing himself on the victims (the reason why they were killed: no witnesses);  
> -The john (Frank Delano) is arrested;  
> -The police tracks down an aunt and uncle from the mother's side that Eddie cut off years ago (VIto and Lorraine, with their sons Leonardo and Santino);  
> -Danny has a talk with a social worker - Lynn Downey;  
> -Steve calls Mary.

***Two days later***

“Do you know why you are here, Frankie boy?” Lou Grover’s voice boomed in the confines of the interrogation room where one of his employees was sat down, this time on the opposite side.

“I have no fucking idea.” Frank replied, but Lou could see that he was fidgeting.

“I’ll clear it for you. Victor Hesse.”

Frank clearly knew the guy, if his reaction was to go by.

“You see, Frankie, the case we got yesterday, the domestic abuse one, the victim and his boyfriend, seem to recognize you from before.”

“What does have anything to do with Hesse?”

“I’ll get to that point. The night on April 15th, where were you around 10 p.m.? Before you were called to work.”

Frank looked at Grover like he knew that he had the upper hand, but the fact was that Frank was scared. He knew that Victor would eventually get him in trouble, but he was hoping it wouldn’t happen too soon.

“You see, I asked the dispatcher that contacted you that night for a case, at 10.14 p.m. She tried for 14 minutes before that. Now, the interesting thing is… we don’t have your whereabouts before 10.14 p.m. She had to call your partner first and the woman was there on the scene immediately, but you showed up late, because of the late answer to your radio. You complained it was a late call, but you see, we record all of our conversations that go through official channels, Frank. There was no late call. You were the one that picked up _late_.

“You see, the hotel, where your car was parked is the same one where something awful happened on that same night just minutes earlier. What a wonderful thing GPS is, don't you agree Frank?”

“What’s your point, Grover?”

“It’s Captain Grover for you, Delano.” Lou was pissed. He wanted to wrap his arms around Frank’s neck and squeeze until he wasn’t breathing. But that wasn’t who Lou was despite his brash exterior.

Lou Grover was not going to stoop so low like Frank Delano did.

Schooling his features, Grover sat across from Delano.

“You want to know what my point is? My point is, that for the last year and a half, you exhibited really disturbing behavior. Everyone that has worked with you has at least complained once. But, I said to myself, I’ll give this man a chance. The more I try to see through you the more I’m convinced you have something to hide. And I’m going to uncover it. Whether you help me or not.”

“If you had something on me, you wouldn’t be holding me here and talking to me, Captain Grover.” Frank was spitting fire, careful not to slip in front of his superior.

“I have your location pinned on the night of April 15th, Frank. It’s in front of the Maddison Square Plaza, in New York Fucking City. Tell me what a cop from Newark does in our neighboring state?”

“I had some private matters to tend to.”

“Like, let’s say, trying to rape Daniel Williams?”

Lou let his statement hang in the air. He waited for this moment for all of two days. After Tani and Junior came to him with the information on Frank Delano and what he did on Sunday, Grover didn’t even hesitate to open an investigation on him. Frank Delano was on his radar for a long time, and now, finally they had something to pin on him that could stick.

“Wh-what are you talking about? I-“

“Cut the crap, Delano. I have you on the security cameras, entering the hotel with Daniel Williams around 9.15 p.m. Your car stays parked up front, where a security camera conveniently filmed it staying there until the dispatch call in 10.14 p.m. You know what else we have on you?”

It was a rhetorical question and Frank knew it.

“The clerk at the reception desk recognized you from the picture we’ve shown her. She also told us the room number, and the name you used after we subpoenaed the hotel. Will Grant. Very inventive, if you ask me.”

“That doesn’t prove anything.”

“You are wrong. It does. It proves that you were in that room at the same time as Daniel Williams. It proves that you left the hotel at 9.56 p.m. That’s 41 minute that we do not know what you did. On tape. But, I believe the word of the victim, because I know how your methods work, Delano. I know that you used shady methods to get to where you are right now. And I know how you get around young boys that are Daniel’s age and type. Tell me, would there be more victims that would turn up if I start looking?”

“There’s nothing to be found. You’ll just waste the Governor’s funding for your own chase and find nothing. I’d like to see you explain yourself to Denning then.” Delano smiled smugly.

“Oh, but I won’t be spending the money lightly, Delano. I also have you on the security cameras in front of the hotel, talking to Victor Hesse. Now Daniel’s story holds even more water, because it proves that _you do, in fact, know_ Victor Hesse.”

Frank was really squirming now, trying to gauge from Grover’s face and words how much he knew.

“Now, there is no activity in Newark that connects Victor Hesse to our town, but in New York City, there’s so much about him that our colleagues there aren’t able to prove. You’d be surprised. I wonder what they would say if they knew a fellow cop helped a known criminal get his way and evade the law.”

“Don’t do this, Grover. This is just an attempt of a vendetta against me.”

“Wasn’t that what Daniel Williams said to you in that hotel room? He pleaded with you to not go further, but you forced yourself on him, not stopping at anything. But his boyfriend stopped you. I wonder how you didn’t do anything to them after that and just escaped like a coward. You left witnesses, Delano. I’m sure this is the first time you do that. I wonder what made you slip.

“You are a good detective, even though you put that title next to your name, I wouldn’t say you were good per se, but you know dear ol’ me… What was I saying? Ah, about your detective skills. I don’t know what got into you then, but you left witnesses, and you met with Victor Hesse where people could see you, instead of evading the cameras like anyone else would’ve done. You practically served yourself up on a silver platter to us, Frank. There’s enough evidence to put you away for a long time.

“I just want to know… why? And the most important question, and don’t you dare lie to me, because I’m going to dig up more, and by the end I’ll have every dirty little secret you have for everyone to see. Are there more victims like Daniel Williams?”

Frank knew that he was caught. He was in an interrogation room, with evidence against him. He had two options: either he still protected Victor Hesse and went to prison with the evidence the NPD had on him as it was, or tell them about every victim and what happened afterwards.

In every scenario, there’d be more evidence against him, in no time. One trait Captain Lou Grover was that he was like a dog with a bone. He was hard headed and determined. If you did something wrong, he found it. He could dig until he found out what your mother ate during her pregnancy with you.

Grover was thorough and never made an assumption or charged someone that he wasn’t absolutely sure been guilty about something. The cases that this precinct had solved in the last 5 years since Grover led it, were with 96% success because of the ways Grover worked.

Frank was at a crossroads.

Luckily he didn’t have to think for a long time.

“Victor Hesse leads a prostitution ring with his brother Anton. They are originally from Hawaii until they moved to Los Angeles 6 years ago. But a year ago they came to New York City to escape the police there. They were getting too close. One of their officers that was sent in to gather information on him, his name was Meka Hanamoa, and remember this name, Delano. Remember it well. He was undercover and was killed in a way that I don’t even want to recall. But I had to sit and read through his file. Out of all the people that are the scum of this world, Delano, you had to hang out with the worst.”

“There’s more.” Delano finally spoke.

“Speak.”

That’s how Captain Lou Grover found himself throwing up his lunch, two hours later.

…

“So, he confessed?” Junior asked first thing when he and Tani were called to Captain’s Grover office.

“Yes. He said that Victor Hesse supplied him with hook ups. After Delano was done with them, Victor killed them for him. In exchange, Delano covered for him if anything came up on the radar. Delano had someone at NYPD to settle his accounts. Detective Kaleo. The arrest is happening as we speak.”

“Good. The more we get on Victor, the more we can have for a solid case to finally end this son of a bitch.” Tani was riled up. She still couldn’t forget the faces of Danny and Steve when they recounted to her the story of what happened in that hotel.

“Yes, I agree.” Junior nodded his head. “And what about those people? Can we contact them, ask them to come forward. Get a solid case on Delano.”

Grover sighed and ran his hand down his face.

“Not unless you want to go to the New York City Cemetery and send them the request.”

“Oh, shit, they are dead?”

“Yes. Delano never left any witnesses. Luck was obviously on the Williams’ and McGarrett’s side, because they could very well bed dead too and we wouldn’t have any case.”

“Who killed them? Delano?”

“No. Victor Hesse himself.”

“He killed his own employees?” Tani was shocked.

“Yes. Apparently that man wants to brag about the high maintenance employees that he takes such good care of, but on the other side, he is a hypocrite and wouldn’t flinch in front of the opportunity to kill them himself. Scumbag.” Grover spit out in rage. “What did Eddie Williams tell you?”

“He said that Victor Hesse approached him one night, told him he would lend him money. He said Victor made it look innocent, but that in the end Eddie gambled all of the money that Victor gave him.” Tani replied.

“I think that was part of Victor’s plan all along.” Junior piped in. “Think about it like this, Steve said that Victor showed him a video of Danny giving Victor a blowjob.”

“That sick bastard.” Tani was close to angry now. “Sorry to interrupt you, Junes, but there’s something else that Eddie told me. He said that Victor told him it wasn’t about the money at all when he made Eddie gamble. And the bastard showed a video to Eddie, telling him it was his son and his son’s boyfriend.”

“That makes even more sense now.” Junior mused. “Eddie’s debt gave Victor an opening to approach Danny. He wanted to get to Steve through Danny. Using Delano as the john to do him a favor, he knew what Delano did to all those boys. He figured that Danny would be too scared or too ashamed to even tell Steve.”

“Or possibly he would’ve killed Danny after the hotel encounter.” Grover noted.

“Yes, but something happened. He made a mistake. He wanted to brag and show off. Victor threatened Steve, thinking that if he told him that his boyfriend was with someone else in a hotel somewhere that Steve would give up and go back to Victor.” Tani continued.

“But, Steve went after Danny. He found him. Victor followed Steve to the hotel and then waited for the big fireworks to go off. But they didn’t. Delano got out and fought with Victor, telling him to take care of the problem.” Junior said with a realization. “What if, Victor wanted Eddie to attack his own son? He must have investigated enough to know that Eddie is an abuser. Using the abuser to finish his dirty work.”

“He just didn’t count on Steve being caught in all of it.” Tani agreed with Junior. “And then Steve fought with Eddie and saved Danny.”

“I want you to coordinate on the Victor Hesse case with NYPD.” Grover stated as he rearranged his tie. “I want this man arrested as soon as possible. He’s done enough damage.”

“On it, Cap.” Tani saluted Grover.

“Told you not to call me like that, Rey.” Grover grumbled.

“Sorry.”

“No, you are not.”

Junior laughed at the banter between Grover and Tani but stopped when Tani glared at him.

“How are you doing on finding relatives to the Williams’?”

“We’ve found an aunt and uncle from his mother’s side. They’ll be here tomorrow.”

“They live in New York City.” Junior said. “Said that Eddie would not let them see their nieces and nephews for years before their mother was dead.”

“He is Clara Williams’ brother, Vittorio Rossi, better known as Vito. He and his wife Lorraine have two sons, Leonardo and Santino, both older than Danny and away on studies at Harvard.”

“So, they are well situated, and they can provide for the kids if they get custody granted?” Grover inquired.

“Technically, yes. It depends on what the CPS are going to say on that matter. Last I heard, Danny wanted to get custody on his siblings.” Tani said.

“Understandable. I’m not sure that he’d trust an uncle and aunt he hasn’t seen in years.” Grover said, in thought.

“I really hope they will find a common language. For the kids’ welfare.”

“I agree. After all that Danny and Steve went through, they deserve a reprieve.” Junior sighed wistfully.

“Definitely one of the hardest cases I’ve worked on for a while.” Tani admitted. “But if we can bring them peace with arresting Delano and Danny’s father… I count that as a win.”

“Don’t forget Hesse.” Grover growled.

…

***Meanwhile at the McGarrett house***

“Hi, Daniel, Williams, right? My name is Lynn Downey, and I’m the social worker assigned to your case.

Danny didn’t say anything, just stared ahead.

“I won’t beat around the bush because I think that you understand everything pretty well and you don’t need sugar coating.”

“You are right.”

“Your boyfriend was right. You are smart. And sharp.”

“You spoke to Steve?”

“Yes. I spoke with your neighbor, too. Emily Petersen. And your siblings. Everyone has to sing high praises to you, Daniel.”

Lin sat across Danny on the couch.

“Do you have any of your family members alive to take care of them?” The social worker asked Danny that refused to look at her.

“Why? Am I not old enough to take care of them?”

“You are. But temporarily until this issue with your father is solved. There is no place for them to stay right now, Daniel.”

“There is. My boyfriend has a perfectly functioning house. They love it there.”

“Daniel…”

“It’s Danny.” Danny snapped.

“Okay, Danny. I’m going to ask you again. Do you know any of your family that can take care of your siblings for the moment?”

Danny gave it a thought. A real thought.

“No one that I can recall.”

“Do you remember your uncle Vito and aunt Lorraine?”

“Vaguely.”

“He is your late mother’s brother.”

“Now that you say… I think I remember them, a little. They had two sons if I remember correctly, Leo and Sonny.”

The social worker laughed.

Danny eyed her before the ends of his mouth quirked in a smile. She understood something he didn’t until watching “The Godfather” with Steve once on their movie nights.

“Would you trust them with your siblings for a while?”

“I guess… I could. Are they good?”

“We ran a background check on them. There is nothing that says they won’t be good. We contacted your cousins, and they said they never had trouble with their parents. There is not even a parking ticket in their record, Danny.”

Danny took a deep breath.

“What do you suggest, then?”

“I suggest that if you are certain that you want custody over your siblings, you should give me all of the necessary information I need and we’ll start the procedure. Due to the nature of the events with your father, there’ll be an extensive investigation. But, I will warn you now, with how backed up our courts are, it’s not going to happen overnight.”

“How long?”

“If I get this thing started immediately. At least three or four months. Maybe more.”

“What’s going to happen with my siblings until then?” Danny was becoming agitated fast.

“They are probably going to spend some time in the foster system until we sort this out. Then I assume your aunt and uncle, if they want to, they can take them, temporarily.”

“No! No foster system.” Danny yelled.

Danny started pacing, getting more anxious by the minute.

“Promise me there won’t be any foster family. I won’t be separated from them like that.”

“Danny, calm down-“

“Do not tell me to calm down.” Danny whispered loudly in Steve’s living room, suddenly stopping in his tracks. “Do not ask me to do this. I won’t let you take them away from me. I took care of them since before our mother died. All they had for years was me. I took on a job to be able to feed them because our father was not man enough to stand up for us and help his own children. So, do not tell me to calm down because I won’t until I make sure they are safe.”

“I understand-“

“You don’t understand, Lynn. You know how many of the families in the system are just like our dear father? Too many. I’m not letting them end up in the system. The end.”

Lynn pinched the bridge of her nose. Danny Williams was starting to give her a headache. But admittedly the guy was right.

“I have a proposition.” Lynn finally spoke.

“Yes?”

“I’ll leave them in your care and Steve’s until the procedure has been officially started. Under one condition. You will have daily check-ins with me, I’ll call you at random times to make sure you won’t do anything stupid. After you meet with your relatives, and they give their statement, we’ll proceed from there.”

“Are you sure you are not just yanking my chain right now?”

“I’ll take care of them, Danny, don’t worry. We’ll take care of them. How does that sound?”

She could see Danny was still skeptical.

“I assure you. Nothing is going to happen to them. It’s over, Danny. The thing with your father and what he did to you and your siblings, is over. You gotta move on and let us handle this the best we can.”

“Okay.” Danny nodded, seemingly lost in thought. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. It’s my job.”

The social worker smiled at Danny.

“Although I have to ask.”

“What?”

“Sonny, huh?”

“Would you believe if I told you that his real name is Santino, and Sonny is his nickname?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me, at all.”

“I barely got the meaning myself. I watched ‘The Godfather’ for the first time two months ago.” Danny told her.

“Yeah. Your uncle is either an avid reader or an avid movie watcher.”

“There’s a book?”

“Yes, there is.”

“That, I need to read.”

“I’ll leave you to it, Danny. Bye.”

“Bye.”

…

Steve was in his room while Danny talked with the social worker. He needed a distraction, so he had his phone in hand, dialing up. He didn’t realize he called Mary until his sister picked up on the second ring.

“Hey, Steve. I was wondering when you’d call.”

“Hey, Mare.”

Steve was aware his voice wavered but he didn’t have it in him to pretend. He pretended for too long. Pretended he was fine when he wasn’t. Steve missed his family awful lot these days. After witnessing Danny’s father almost killing him, it was enough to make Steve rethink all of his decisions in the past 6 years.

“I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“For my bad life choices. I cut you out and Aunt Deb from my life and-“

“Steve, we talked about this. Don’t beat yourself up because of it. Aunt Deb is okay with everything. She understands.

“I was a fool. I thought I could go on without the most important people in my life. I was so wrong.”

“Steve, what happened?”

And now, his sister, from 5,000 miles away, knew something was wrong.

“Something happened, brother. And I know you’ll be trying to downplay it, so before you do it, think about my wrath.”

That’s how Steve ended up feeling better by telling his sister everything. In the end it wasn’t so hard to open up, when it felt like the pressure of everything that happened was going to suffocate him.

Steve ended the call with renewed sense of calm. Now more than ever he was ready to be by Danny’s side and help him heal. Steve was going to be there for Danny. He was willing to sacrifice himself to make sure Danny got all the help needed. He was determined to show Danny that he loved him.

No one was there for Steve 6 years ago, because he didn’t let anyone in. But, he’d be damned if he’d let Danny go through this alone.


	14. Wind of change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Danny sees his aunt and uncle again after a long time  
> -Danny moves in with Steve and visits his siblings every day  
> -Time jump (3-4 months)  
> -Steve tells Danny about the scholarship at NYU   
> -Danny reaches an agreement with his aunt and uncle for his siblings to remain with them  
> -Danny talks to his father in prison   
> -They talk about what happened - and Danny offers something that Eddie finally accepts  
> -Danny’s birthday is August 23rd

***One week later***

Danny cherished every day he got to spend with his siblings after the talk he had with Lynn. He was aware that their time together was limited. He was going to meet his aunt and uncle any minute now and tried to steel himself for what was about to come, but he knew that eventually he’d have to give them for strangers to take care of them.

Danny remembered his relatives vaguely. There were playdates with his cousins and visits when he was younger. When his mom was healthy and happy and didn’t have to spend days in bed, unable to muster the strength to get up.

Danny still remembered those days vividly. He’d wake up, go to his mom, kiss her goodbye then go to school. After school, he’d prepare a meager meal, because his mom didn’t eat much in those days, and he’d watch as she tried to eat more, but not being able to stomach it.

Danny chased away those thoughts from his head. It still hurt, losing his mom and what she had to go through in the years after she got sick, but Danny finally decided that dwelling on the past too much won’t do him any good. He decided to live in the moment, with his siblings and Steve by his side.

When Danny explained the situation to them, they took it fairly well. They kicked up a fuss because they weren’t gonna be with him, especially Bridget, but then after Danny promised daily visits and that this won’t be forever, they agreed. It was a better choice than being sent in the system.

Danny just hoped his uncle and aunt were good people, and not just a memory he had from them.

Steve came to sit with him a while ago, but stayed dutifully silent, letting Danny come to terms with his thoughts.

“You think this will be a good thing?” Danny finally had the courage to ask Steve.

They discussed the custody of his siblings after the talk with Lynn, but Steve stayed out of it as much as possible, seeing that it was a tough subject and Danny was still vulnerable. With everything that happened in the hotel with Will and in the house with Eddie, Steve didn’t want to start another fire.

But these days Danny seemed like he was doing better, and right now it looked just like he wanted to talk about it.

“I think that, yes, as long as you get along with them and do not try to boss them…” Steve smirked, and he could see that he was on a good way to rile Danny up.

“Be serious, Steven!”

“I am serious, Danny. I’m sure it will go without a hitch. You’ll see.”

“I don’t know. I-“

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Danny was too jittery so Steve got up to open the door. He let Vito and Lorraine inside, and then conveniently went to the kitchen. This was Danny’s moment. He’d let him have a moment alone with them.

…

Danny stood awkwardly in front of his aunt and uncle, trying to speak, but no words came out of him. It was hard to make human contact with someone that was his blood, but was distant at the same time.

“Hi, Danny.” His aunt Lorraine spoke first. Tentatively she approached him.

“Hi.” Danny croaked back.

“My God, you are all so grown up… 7 years.” His uncle Vito was openly crying.

“Ah, leave him be, Danny. He is just sentimental. Always crying.”

“You are saying it like it’s a bad thing, Lorraine.”

Danny snorted at the banter between husband and wife and watched as they tried to ease the tension.

“It’s okay. You are doing great, honey.” Lorraine quipped.

Danny started laughing, almost hysterically so. His aunt and uncle were hilarious.

‘What?” They both were looking at him now, and he could see Steve appear at the kitchen door.

“Nothing, it’s just, I remembered something. You said that to him more than once, when you were visiting. When Bridget was born.”

“You remember that?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I hug you?” his aunt asked.

Danny nodded and in the next moment, he was enveloped in a bear hug. His uncle joined the pile, and somehow Danny knew everything would be okay.

…

“We have a two-story house in New York City. There are three rooms downstairs and two upstairs. Two bathrooms, one on each floor. We have enough space for everyone.” His aunt Lorraine explained.

“After CPS contacted us and told us what happened, we were shattered to hear that you all went through that hell. I wish Clara told me Ed was not right in his mind. I was going to do something about it. I would have taken you all with me.” Uncle Vito seemed to be pissed off at his father, Danny noted.

“He wasn’t always like this. He started drinking after mom died. Then he... He always said I reminded him of mom and then he just started hitting me.”

“Oh, honey. There is no excuse for what he did to you and your brother and sisters. He endangered you. I cannot even imagine if Leo and Sonny were in your situation…” His aunt Lorraine was upset.

“In our family, mom always told us that everything can be solved with words. She didn’t want to raise us with violence.” Uncle Vito spoke. “I’ve never hit my boys. I yelled at them when they did something wrong, but to teach them not to do it again. I’d never!”

Danny observed them both as they continued talking about everything. From the accommodation their house would have everything they promised they’d do if the kids came to live with them.

“What’s the status on the custody?” aunt Lorraine was the one to actually address the elephant in the room.

“They started the procedure and allowed us to have my siblings here for a while. But eventually they’ll have to take them.”

“There are two options.” Steve noticed that Danny couldn’t continue talking, so he took over. “Either they end up in the system and in foster family, or with you.”

“We’d be very happy to take them. They are my blood. I’m not leaving them with strangers.” Uncle Vito stated.

“We are practically strangers, Vittorio.” Lorraine scolded her husband.

“But we are also a family. We leave no one behind. We made a mistake once of not reacting out when Eddie cut us out of their lives. We are not making another mistake.”

“Would you like to see them?” Danny suddenly asked.

It surprised everyone but the eager nod of his aunt and uncle was enough for Danny to get his siblings in the room with them.

…

As emotional moments went, the meeting went well. They talked more and discussed living arrangements. It was close to 45 minutes from where Steve lived to uncle Vito’s place, and it meant Danny could be there every day to visit his siblings and keep good on his promise.

There were lots of hugs and tears involved from everyone in the room, but in the end, everyone was left with hope that things were finally going to be okay between all of them.

Faith was restored.

…

***3 months later***

As April gave way to May, Steve started his business plan on expanding his store. He gathered information on how well the flow of clients was, the profit, the money he’d need and space. Also, he had to think of employing someone else besides Danny. Danny encouraged this idea and helped Steve in his plans. Increasing the work hours for another shift and taking more people in already made the whole thing better.

Victor Hesse escaped the police, but they managed to capture Anton. They were searching every known location, but by the talks of the police, Victor was long gone.

That rattled Danny and Steve, but the detectives reassured them that they were doing everything in their power to catch him. They promised to update them. Still, it took them a while to accept the fact that Victor was still at large.

Steve got a letter from NYU in late June, with a notification that Danny was admitted to their university on full time scholarship and he could start that fall. Steve had to wipe a few tears when he read the letter because all Steve had to do was write his own letter explaining why he thought Danny should get the scholarship and a proof from how talented Danny was.

(Steve may or may have not sent few of Danny’s solved assignments from university textbooks.).

Steve knew that he should have asked Danny first, but he also knew that Danny would’ve given him hell for it, so he waited for the perfect moment to tell his boyfriend.

In June, Danny officially moved in with Steve. He got everything from his belongings that mattered with him in Steve’s house, _their house_ , as Steve helpfully reminded him and sold the house. From the money he set up a college fund for his siblings.

They both went to therapy, aware that dealing with the events would not get taken care of by itself. Danny was a lot calmer and happier nowadays with the exception of his anxiousness over his siblings.

As the hearing date approached, Danny became more restless and jittery. Steve tried to reassure him that everything was going to be okay, with Danny always having this forlorn look in his eyes.

***August 2019***

One night after they drove back home from visiting his siblings in New York City, Danny came to Steve and asked them to talk.

“I have something to tell you.” Danny said, looking at his lap, his hands in constant state of moving.

“Okay…”

“I… I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I decided that it was best if my siblings remain with uncle Vito and aunt Lorraine.”

Steve couldn’t say that he wasn’t surprised, but he let Danny talk for the moment.

“I’ve had a hard time to let it go, to give up, but, it’s for the best.”

Danny looked at Steve finally.

“What do you say, Steve?”

“It’s your call, Danny. You know that I’ll support you whatever you decide.”

“I somehow knew you’d say that.”

“I’m that predictable, huh?”

“You have no idea.”

“I gotta ask, though, what led you to this decision?”

“Well… I’ve been visiting them for the last three months, every day, and they’ve settled in very well. They have everything they need, books, toys, food, a roof over their heads. But most of all, they have stability. They haven’t had stability in a long time, and I’d hate to take that away from them.”

“What makes you think that they won’t have that stability with you?” Steve inquired.

“It’ll be a lot of hassle. There is the upcoming hearing, court taxes, court meetings, the meetings with the social worker. I think it is enough people to bother them at the moment. I don’t want to take that from them. Not when they finally seem like they have a normal life.”

Steve understood Danny and what he meant.

“I talked with them tonight.” Danny said next, before Steve could.

“And?”

“And they agreed. I promised them that this didn’t mean I’m giving up on them. Bless their hearts, they agreed with me and said they really liked uncle Vito’s place. More so, they said that they wanted to see me happy, too, and they all know how much I put on myself to get them through life so far… They said that I deserved some me-time.”

“They love you so much, Danny. And I have to admit, they are right.”

“Of course, we can arrange meetings every few days, it doesn’t have to be every day, I don’t want to put you out of-“

“Danny, Danny, breathe, buddy.”

“Sorry,” Danny chuckled. “You know how it is when I get excited.”

“Yes, I do.”

Right there it was the perfect moment to tell Danny the news.

“About that, I have something to tell you, too.”

“Ah, what is it?”

Steve went to his bedroom to pick up the envelope.

Danny looked at him expectantly when he returned and Steve felt like this was the moment where he’d either get punched or get hugged.

“I know that it was very forward of me to do this, especially since we weren’t even together back then, but it started like an innocent search and I fell down a hole.” Steve started, aware he was holding the envelope tight. “I applied, on your behalf, to several universities in the vicinity of New Jersey. Couple of weeks ago, I got a response from NYU.”

“What?” Danny looked at Steve, lost for words.

“They wrote back, saying that you are getting a full scholarship to study there. They’ll cover the expenses for your full studying there, we just have to secure a living space and money for rent.”

Danny was staring at Steve, mouth agape.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed. But you were so excited whenever you got close to my college textbooks, and I figured if I could at least-“

Danny crashed his lips with Steve’s, kissing him roughly. Steve squeaked, but returned the kiss.

“You are not mad?” Steve was testing the waters.

“No. I’m not. Few months ago, I would’ve been pissed off. But now I’m just glad I have a thoughtful boyfriend, who might be a bit overprotective. And his pout is lovely.”

“I do not pout, Daniel.”

“Oh, yes, you do. Now that we established that, when are we due to give NYU an answer?”

Steve grinned, and they spent the rest of the night discussing their plans.

…

Aunt Lorraine opened the door. Danny smiled at her and she gave him a gentle hug. He was wary at first with letting her in, but she proved to be a good person and now Danny enjoyed the hugs she gave him.

She was in her 40s, around Danny’s height, but more round, always with a smile on her face and laugh wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She took in to Danny and his siblings very well, treated them like her own kids. With time Danny was able to remember more of his childhood spent with them, when they visited. It was nice to have familiar faces back in his life, that Danny could lean on, and trust.

There was something familiar and homey about the lasagna aunt Lorraine baked, or the famous tiramisu that uncle Vito swore was the best in all of Italy. Of course, uncle Vito’s father told him that, along with the recipe. Uncle Vito refused to tell what the secret of its making was, no matter how much everyone asked.

Danny was sure that he brought the right decision about siblings the more time he spent with his family. And he was sure that they wouldn’t say no after he explained to them why it was important for them to take care of his siblings.

“I’ll go and fetch your siblings.” Aunt Lorraine pulled Danny out of his musings.

“No, actually I wanted to talk to you and uncle Vito. Alone.”

“Okay. I’ll fetch Vito and we’ll talk. In the study, okay?”

“Yes.”

Few minutes later uncle Vito came to the room. In his early 50s, uncle Vito was a broad man with grey hair and warm eyes. He exuded confidence. And he made you feel safe in his presence.

“Oh, there he is. Il mio nipote favorito.”

“Uncle Vito.” Danny rolled his eyes goodheartedly.

“What? I love you all, don’t get me wrong, but you are my favorite nephew.”

“Stop, Vito or else Danny will turn into a fire engine, the way he’s blushing.”

“Okay, okay. I heard you want to talk with us, Danny. What is it?”

“Can we sit down?”

“Yeah, let me just get some lemonade and cookies.” His aunt disappeared in the kitchen.

She was back in a couple of minutes. After Danny had had a sip from the lemonade, he held the glass in his hands to ground himself.

“I wanted to thank you, both of you, for taking my siblings in and for not letting CPS place them in the system.”

“No need to thank us, Danny.” Uncle Vito dismissed Danny’s gratitude. “No blood of mine will be raised by someone else when I’m here.”

“I’m aware of that, yes. I was thinking, and I have a proposition that I think it will be good for all of us.”

“What about?” aunt Lorraine inquired.

“The custody.”

There was silence in which all three looked at each other before Danny moved on to what he wanted to say.

“I am more than capable and willing to take care of my siblings. I am an adult, legally, so this shouldn’t have happened in the first place, but after the events in which my father… did what he did… I’m just lucky they are not with strangers. I cannot tell you how many times I wished to just take them with me and go away, just so they won’t have to go through what they did, what we all did, in the last three years, after our mom died.

“I was talking to my therapist the other day, and we reached a conclusion that however you spin this scenario, this situation we are in, the most important person for me, should be myself first. I’m not like that you know. Up until few months ago, I don’t even know if I ever thought about myself before thinking of Matty, Bridge and Stell. They are my life and taking care of them came first and foremost ever since they were born. Steve called me selfless.”

Danny looked at his clasped hands before he raised his head to look at his aunt and uncle.

“You are, Danny. You may not realize that, but you are one of the most selfless people I know. And I am really glad that we’ve been able to step up after so long and help you. You don’t have to go through things alone, anymore. You have Steve, and you have us.” His aunt Lorraine smiled at Danny and Danny returned the smile.

Another aspect about his aunt and uncle Danny liked was the fact that they were okay with his sexuality. At first, he had doubts, but after they met Steve, Danny decided that keeping things from the start wouldn’t help their fractured relationship. They were totally cool with it, and from time to time, his aunt even asked him what Danny’s long-term plans with Steve were.

“Thanks aunt Lorraine. I appreciate that.”

“What is it that you wanted to say, honey?” his aunt asked him, and Danny sipped from his lemonade before he continued.

“I came to a realization, few days ago, and I think that for the moment it would be the right decision. I even talked with my siblings, and they agree. It’s been 4 months since they started living with you, and obviously it’s a good thing. They have a roof over their heads, and they have food, and they have the essentials. But, the most important thing in my opinion is that they have stability. And love. So much love. They haven’t stopped talking about how it feels different to live here compared to our home. Or what used to be our home.”

Danny sighed.

“They miss me, though, and I miss them more than I can say. But, I also think that this time, I’ll break the rule and think of them before myself. They always come first, no matter what. And they are really comfortable here.

“I’m not saying that I won’t be able to take care of them or that I don’t want to. But, I think that the best would be if you have the custody over them. I’m not giving it to you as a sign that you should take it for granted. I believe you’ll do your best in taking care of them.

“I’m not giving up on them. I’m sure that the judge would consider me as their closest relative as someone that could take care of them. But there is the risk that I could not be granted custody. Either way, I’d like to, if you are on board with this, I’d like to have the custody of my siblings. I’ll still visit them every day, and they will be my responsibility. I will take care of them, take them with me to stay in Steve’s house, our house now, that’s still tough to say…

“Anyway, I’m sorry, I’m rambling. What do you think about it?”

Danny held his breath as he watched his aunt and uncle closely for any reaction. There was a myriad of feels on their faces, but he could see the moment they made up their mind when they smiled at him simultaneously.

“We love you all, so much Danny. It will be an honor and pleasure to take care of your siblings. And of you, of course. Whatever you need. Family should stick together.” His aunt Lorraine said as she wiped a tear.

“What she said. We understand you and we don’t judge you. The least I would think about you would be that you are giving up on them, Danny. You showed us how much you love them, and anyone that wants to get to know you, could see that.”

“So, that means that you agree?”

“Yes, we do.”

“I think we need more cookies and lemonade.” Uncle Vito declared. They all laughed and as aunt Lorraine went to retrieve more drinks and cookies and his siblings, Danny felt like things were finally, aligning themselves.

Danny had to do something else, though. And he had to talk to Steve about it, first.

…

Steve picked him up a little while later.

“Hey,” Steve pecked him on the cheek. “How did it go?”

“It went well.”

“Now, a question about you, Mister. How do you feel about your birthday present being given to you earlier?”

“I don’t mind.”

“Good.”

If Danny squealed like a schoolgirl when Steve gave him plane tickets to Hawaii no one had to know.

…

Danny was nervous. It wasn’t like he was going to war. He was just going to visit his father in prison.

Coincidence or not, the only available visitation day was the day of Danny’s birthday.

Few days ago, after Steve presented Danny with the tickets so Hawaii and they had dinner, Danny told Steve about his idea.

Steve was oddly calm at the prospect of Danny seeing his father again. Danny expected Steve to yell, and to tell him that he shouldn’t, but all Steve told Danny was that it was Danny’s decision, and he was there to support Danny.

Danny had to ask something else from Steve, hoping that now that his father had some time to cool off, Danny could reason with him easily and make his offer, hoping his father would accept.

Danny still felt guilty about everything that happened, even with what his therapist constantly told him to do. Danny believed he was not at fault, but deep inside he couldn’t help thinking that if he tried to ask for help for his father, none of this would’ve happened.

Alas, everything was in the past now, and Danny chose to concentrate on the present and the future.

His father was pending trial in September. Danny spoke to his father’s lawyer the week before and as she arranged the visit, she agreed with Danny’s offer. All Danny had to do now, was to convince his father to accept his help.

When the officer brought Danny’s father in the visitation room, Danny was struck with the changes in his father. Eddie looked better, he was clean shaven and his hair was trimmed, with more grey in it. He looked healthy and clean, and well fed. A far cry from the man that almost killed Danny back in April.

Danny took a deep breath as his father approached and sat across him.

“Hey, dad.” Danny’s voice didn’t waver, thankfully when he spoke up.

His father finally looked at Danny.

“I know that you are probably surprised to see me here. Frankly, I’m surprised, too. But, you are my father in the end, and I didn’t want to leave things the way they are since…”

The marks and bruises were long gone from his neck and face, but Danny felt his father’s gaze fall on those places.

Eddie opened and closed his mouth a few times like he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t.

“I want you to know that I don’t blame you for anything.” It took Danny a while to register that his father actually spoke.

“I don’t blame you for anything that made me hit you and insult you. I am also aware that I am not a good man. A good man wouldn’t take his children for granted and do what I did.”

“I don’t think you are a bad man, dad.” Danny said, believing his words. “It’s hard to remember the good days, you know? But I do believe you are not bad. Otherwise, you would’ve done way worse things to us.”

“You really think that, Danny?” His father asked incredulously.

“Yes, I do. I had lots of time to think. Ever since you’ve been arrested, I was thinking, a lot, and came to realize, that some days were better than others, and I know that there is no justification for what happened, but I know that, if things were different, you wouldn’t have.”

“Thank you, Danny. I honestly never believed that we’d be talking again until Jolene called yesterday and said that you wanted to talk to me.”

“Yeah, that makes the two of us.”

“I want to tell you something.”

“I was hoping that I could-“

Danny chuckled, his father and he spoke at the same time. There was a smile on his father’s face.

“You first, dad.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Here goes nothing. I had time to think, too, and wanted to apologize to you all. I know I wasn’t fair to blame you for my problems. You and your brother and sisters are not guilty for my inner turmoil. There is no excuse… but I want you to know it wasn’t you. I wasn’t always like this. I used to drink a lot, back in the day. Your grandpa, he didn’t like me dating your mother so I drank and slowly fell into a habit. But your mother, she was my pillar. My strength.

“She was my guidance. Helped me get sober, took me to meetings, and encouraged me. Her love helped in more ways than one, and I tried to pay her back as best as I could. I am aware I did have bad moments, but never doubt I never wanted any of you. What I said to you…” Eddie wiped a tear. “It’s something I’ll never forgive myself for. It was true what I said that you remind me of your mother, you know. And it’s not just the looks.

“She was smart, she was sharp. And you are so much like her, the reminder of it and every day, after she died… It was too much for me. I don’t expect you to understand, Danny, but I truly loved her. And I love you. You are my son. I must have done something right that I've got you in my life.”

Danny smiled sadly at his father. He was sure that if he spoke now, he was going to burst into tears.

“What do people call it? Epiphany? I had that, once I realized that I am here because of what I did. It was my own decision to get back to the alcohol after Clara died. She was the one that always knew how to keep me in check. And she is gone. She is gone and I loved her so much. Still love her.

“I tried to stop, to clean up, and to get sober again after I hit you for the first time and you spent the night in the hospital. I remember how scared I was that you were hurt, I was praying that you wouldn’t die. But after that, it was harder to put the bottle down. And that led to more anger. I was frustrated with so many things, and I took it out on you. Not the right thing to do, I know, but once I did it again, I just couldn’t stop. I don’t know if it’ll make sense, but it was like a magic circle I had no way out from. Until you pointed that gun at me.”

“That wasn’t the smartest thing I did. But I really didn’t want you to kill Steve.”

“How is he?”

“He is doing okay. We manage.”

“I know that I said it to you when we were still fighting, but I want to make sure you know that I’m okay. That you have a boyfriend. I don’t mind.”

“Really?”

“Really. My brother… he was gay, too. Our parents didn’t accept him for whom he was. One day he just gathered his things and left, and I never saw him again. So, I get it. I never made it easy for you to come out to me, and I’m sorry.”

“That’s actually good to hear, dad. Thank you.”

“What did you want to talk about, son?”

It was the first time Eddie called Danny ‘son’ in a long while. It felt strangely good to reconnect with Danny somehow. Made Eddie think there was still hope for him.

“It’s something that got me thinking. Your lawyer agrees as long as you agree too.”

“Okay.”

“There is a law, about domestic abuse, where it says that first-time domestic violence offenders that are convicted of domestic violence crimes, they could be required to attend court provided non-profit offender rehabilitation programs within a 50-mile radius of the offender’s legal residence.

“Now, you are still not convicted, but there is a chance your lawyer can reach a plea with the prosecutor and if you plead guilty, since this is your first time, you’d serve the sentence on parole. I am not going to press charges, but they have you on assault for Steve and me. You’ll be required to go to anger management classes and I arranged for you to be transferred to an AA facility where you’d go to rehab.

“I spoke with them, and they could take you next week. The only problem is that I sold the house. It just bared so many memories, and I couldn’t help but think of a fresh start. But, Steve agreed to help me out to find you a decent apartment that you could cover with your paycheck. Provided you do not buy alcohol with those money.”

“My job? My place? Danny…”

“You don’t have to decide at once, you have time to think about it. Just promise me you’ll consider this.”

“Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?”

“Because you are my father. And I would not be able to live with myself if I knew that I could do something about you, and I didn’t. I love you, too, you know.”

“Even after what I did?”

“Even after what you did.”

“What did I do to deserve you, son?”

Danny shrugged.

“Okay, I promise.”

“I have to go now, gotta pack my suitcase. We are going for a vacation with Steve, to Hawaii.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. A surprise from him.”

“Would you tell Matthew, Bridget and Stella that I said hi? I really hope that they are doing well.”

“Yeah. They are with aunt Lorraine and uncle Vito.”

“Good to hear. They are good people.”

Danny nodded.

Just before Danny left, his father put a hand on Danny’s elbow. This time Danny didn’t flinch.

“Can I hug you?”

“Of course, dad.”

Eddie hugged his son tight and breathed in the familiar scent of his kid that had to grow up too soon.

“Happy birthday, Danny.”

“Thanks, dad.”

As Danny opened the door, his father’s words stopped him for a moment.

“Will you be able to forgive me, someday?”

“I forgave you long time ago, dad.”

With that, Danny left, feeling lighter than ever.

It was time to turn a new page in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:   
> Il mio nipote favorito - My favorite nephew.   
> Second to last chapter, the last one will be posted soon.   
> Hope you've liked this story.


	15. New beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Epilogue  
> -Trip to Hawaii   
> -Danny meets aunt Deb, and all of Steve’s friends.  
> -Chin Ho Kelly, an officer with the Honolulu Police Department  
> -Chin’s cousin, Kono Kalakaua, also with HPD  
> -Max Bergman, studying to become Medical Examiner  
> -Kamekona Tupuola, training to become a sumo fighter  
> -Jerry Ortega, Chin’s best friend, working as a tech guy for HPD (young and talented hacker)  
> (Steve’s friends are only mentioned and they make a minor appearance in this chapter)

***September 2019***

“How’s paradise, Danno?” Steve asked as he sat next to Danny on the beach and handed him one of the non-alcoholic Mai-Tai cocktails his aunt Deb made.

“How’s paradise? You have the audacity to ask me that? This is paradise for you?”

Steve was shaking with silent laughter, knowing what exactly was following.

A Danny rant.

“Do you know that I burned? Right through my t-shirt. Even with sunscreen on, I burned, Steven! Do not laugh at me, Mister, do you hear me?”

Steve stopped for a moment before he started laughing in earnest when he saw Danny’s judging red face. He looked like a lobster.

“I’ll give you lobster, you fucking animal.”

“Did I say that out loud? Oops. Sorry, Danno.”

“Look, Danno is a thing between my baby sister and me. Stop calling me that.”

“I think it’s cute. It suits you.”

“Shut up.”

“And you are cute, too. Perfect match.”

“God, it’s so hot. How did you live here for 17 years, Steve? The humidity is killing me.”

“Oh, don’t worry. Once you spend some time in Hawaii, it grows on you.”

“We are here for two weeks already, Steve, and I see no change. This pineapple infested hell-hole did not grow on me.”

“What do you have against pineapples?” Steve asked incredulously.

“Nothing.”

“You threw a fit when-“

“Do. Not. I’m just saying, this town could use a good slice.”

“But, it’s so delicious, Danny. You should try Ialani's in Waikiki. They have the best ham and pineapple in the world.”

“Stop right there. Let me... explain something to you, okay? Pizza... is mozz, sauce and dough. That is it. Alright? You, uh, wanna put a pepperoni on your slice, that's fine. But ham? Out! Fruit? Out! Okay? I don't care where we are. Pizza and pineapple do not belong in the same air space.”

Steve sighed.

“I guess you feel quite strongly about this.”

“You can say that.”

“Okay, so, no pineapple on your pizza.”

“Finally, you got on with the program.”

“Hey, you two lovebirds. Get out in the sun, have fun.” Kono’s voice reached them.

Ah, right, Kono. One of Steve’s friends in Hawaii. Her cousin Chin was animatedly chatting with his best friend Jerry, while Kamekona tried to arm wrestle Max. They were a rag tag bunch and Danny liked their presence. They had lots of embarrassing stories about Steve (combined with Mary’s, Danny had a book worth of events). And they got along seamlessly and accepted Danny like their own.

“The King will burn his skin if he spends time under the sun.”

“Remind me why I love you, again?”

“You can’t resist me, baby.”

Danny scowled at Steve. Before Steve had any time to prepare, Danny pounced on him and tackled Steve to the ground.

They had wrestled for a while before Danny had Steve pinned under him on the sand. The looks they gave each other became heated.

There was a chorus of “aws” and a few catcalls before Chin had to yell “Get a room!”

“That’s the plan!” Steve replied.

Danny laughed. A full belly and honest laugh. Still tackling Steve, he kissed him, obscenely, on the lips.

There was a collective groan.

“You think we scared them off?” Danny asked with a huge grin on his face.

“Effectively.” Steve replied, grinning too.

“I love you, Steve.”

“Love you more, Danno.”

Danny was scowling at Steve again, but he secretly loved that Steve called him Danno, too.

The most important thing, Danny realized, looking at Steve, was that he didn’t hate Mondays anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I very much love pizza with pineapple, sorry Danny.
> 
> If you noticed some familiar text, it's from season 1 episode 3. 
> 
> That's all folks. End of the ride. Hope you liked the story as much as I do. Till next time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts?


End file.
